The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-04-23
The Cobble's Story.

"He came running down the steps OF
my shop-this very basement-and sat
down in that chair, all out of breath.
Il was hammering away, polishing
off a new sole which | had just fitted to
a customers boot. l was in a great
hurry, because had promised the boots
attwo O'Clock, and it was now a full
quarter past. should not have minded
that, but the gentleman said he should
certainly call for them at two. He was
good customer, and did not wish to
disappoint him.
"1 had finished one, and was nearly
through with the other. l looked up
and was glad to see that it was not the
owner of the boots, and kept ham,
mering all the harder.
1.-The young mamie was a young
man, not more than one-and-twenty-sat
about minute, till he got his breath.
Then he spoke up, in q savage, domlneer-
ing way: ,..,
atLook here, old fellow, here's a little
lob want YOU to attend to while wait;
I am in q hurry
"I did not like his tone; and, raising
nv ewes to his face, did not like his looks,
either. For all that, he was handsome,
swell-built fellow-a regular dandy, /
should say. What struck me particular
" was that he was.as pale as q ghost.
"'Can't touch your job till L am
through with this. I shall be done in
few minutes
"Times were dull, you see, and I
thought would hold on to him, if l
could. a.....
HE swore big oath, which startled
me so much that I dropped the boot-in
fact, may say,it was as good as finished
and held out my hand for his. He had
already pulled it off. !.
"How long p he demanded, sharply.
"Iexamined the boot--a neat button
gaiter, almost new, best French leather,
first-class every way; in fact, one o
Stiles best-you know Stiles is first
class should say the pair must have
cost fourteen dollars, perhaps fourteen
fifty, with the leather buttons, which are
extra. The strangest part of the whole
was, that the heel had been torn off, and
the sole ripped clear away to the center
an odd sort of job, wasn't it J.?
"Well,' exclaimed the man, savage
ly,, what are you waiting for? Why
don't you answer
"'Where is the heel p 1 asked.
.WIn perditioh,' he muttered; and l
have half mind to send you there after
it,
Il was frightened. I had read so
many murder cases in the newspapers, l
was afraid was to make one of them.
He looked to me as if he would not think
twice before putting one of my own
knives through me.
8" It will take good hour, 1 said,
and can't make Z neat job at that.
y"Will give you thirty minutes he
answered, taking out his watch. Botch
it any way you like, only make it
strong. Thirty minutes, mind"
81 went to work with all my might,
the Young man cycling me every instant.
I felt all the time as if he was pointing
areyolver at me.
%. Do you object if do this with peg
work?' said, when came to the heel ;
sit,will save q good fifteen minutes
"Peg away, he growled. Time al-
most up.'.fr., .,,,
,"I managed to get the heel on some
sort Of fashion. It didn't look much
like its mate-ha, ha, ha!-but he paid
no attention to that
"On went the oot
"Now button it, he said.
Il did so.
."He took glance at the street, then
he fumbled in his pocket, and pulling
out roll of bills, threw me five. :,
"sThere YOU aren he exclaimed
will be back one of these days for tht
change
$50 saying, he darted off double.
quick, and, turning up the street, was
out of sight before could count three
"My first thought was that he hac
given me counterfeit note. But dis
covered, on examining it, that it wa:
genuine, and no mistake.
al am in luck to-day / thought
Five dollars for thirty minutes work!
ION looking little more carefully a
the bill, / perceived on one corner drol
of. something red, which did not appear
to be exactly dry No, ] can't say it wa
red, like red paint or vermilion; yes, i
aDas red, though-leastwise, more rec
than ANYTHING else. It looked so fresl
that I put my finger on the spot, just a
one might say, without thinking of any
thing particular; yet / was in a kind o
puzzle, too, considering it did look, Us
was telling you. quite fresh-like.
when I put my finger on the sspo
and took it off again, something stained
it-something which-well, can neve
forget that to my dying day. l did no
know what to do; so called to my Wit
she was in the next room and the doc
was open. Says1:
"Wife, come here
"What's wanting? says she, as sh
ran in.
"What's that on my finger?' says
holding it up.
"!'Blood,' says she. How did yo'
. cut yourself?'
":It's somebody else that's cut, In
.h;,1,;np, o,d T told har oil about If