The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-25
THE COBBLER'S STORY

IHE IUBDLER ) SlURl.
"He came running down the steps OF my
shop-this very basement sat down In
that chair, all out OF breath.
II was hammering away, polishing off a
new sole which had just fitted to custom
er's boot was In a great hurry, because l
had promised the boots at q o'clock, and 1t
was now full quarter past. / should not
have minded that, but the gentleman said ne
should certainly call for them at two He
was q good customer, and l did not wish to
Slisappoint him.
II had finished one and was nearly through
with the other. ! looked up and was glad to
see that It was not the owner OF the boots,
and kept hammering all the harder.
"The young man--he was young man, not
more than one-and-twenty-sat about a
minute, till he got his breath. Then he spoke
up Ia savage, domineering way:
"tLook here, old fellow, here's little job
want you to attend to while wait; / am In o
hurry
~ did not like his tone; and, raising my
ewes to his face did not like his looks, either.
For all that, he Was a handsome, well-built
fellow-a regular dandy, should say. What
struck ME particularly was that ne was as
asGan't touch your Job till am through
with this. / shall be done In a few minutes
"Ttmes were dull, you see, and 1 thought /
would hold on to him, II could;
He swore big oath, which startled me
may say 1t was as good as tinished-and held
out my hand for his. He had already pulled
1t Of; - y, i, ,o,,,o r,od .h.rn,r
I.,.xA butt rvni tAys
almost new, best French leather, iirst-class
every way; In fact, one OF Stiles best-you
know Stiles Is first-class- should say the pair
must have cost fourteen dollars. perhaps
fourteen fifty XIV with the Leather II }hs hna
was, that the heel had been torn off. and the
sort 81 job wasn't itf
"'Well, exclaimed the man, savagely,
what are you waiting for2 Why don't you
".Where is the heel ? ! asked.
"sIn perdition,' he muttered; and | have
half mind to send you there after it.
II was frightened. ! had read SO many
to make one Of them. He looked TO me as II
he would not think twice before putting one
OF my own knives through me:
IT will take eo 6, good q hour hour, SAID and
'''Will give you thirty minutes, he an
swered, taking out his watch. 'Botch 1t any
way YOU like; only make it strong. Thirty
II went to work with all my might, the
young man cycling me every instant. felt
all the time as IL he was pointing revolver
".Do you object II | do this with peg
work 2 I said, when came to the heel; 1T
will save q good fifteen minutes,
"tPeg away" lie growled Time almost
II managed to get the heel on some sort Of
fashion. 1t didn't look much like it's mate
ha, ha, ha but he paid no attention to that
ion went the boot.
"'Now button It, he said.
81 did 30.
HE took glance at the street, then he
fumbled in his pocket, and pulling out roll
Of bills, threw me five.
".There you arep he exclaimed. will be
back one of these days for the 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 had given
me q counterfeit note. But discovered, on
examining 1t, that it was genuine, and no mis-
take.
dollars for thirty minutes work.
"On looking a little more carefully at the
bill, perceived on one corner drop of some
thing red, which did not appear to be exactly
dry. No, l can't say 1t was red, like red paint
or vermlion: yes, it acds red, though-least-
wise, more red than anything else. 1t looked
SO fresh that put my finger on the spot, just
as one might say, without thinking Of any
thing particular; yet was In kind or puz-
zle. too, considering II dad look, as was tell
"When put my finger on thespot and took
1t off again, something stained it-something
whicb-well, l can never forget that to my
dying day. did not know what to do, SO
called to my wife-she was In the next room
and the door was open. Says L:
"sWife. come here
"'What's wanting? says she, as she ran
whats that on my finger? says !, hold
'Blasd,' says she. How did you Gt
Its somebody else that's cut, I'm think
ing, and told her all about It..
SEQ right away to the police' she ex-
claimed.
"'And get myself locked up for life as d
witness? That's the way they serve you In
New York. I'll wait first and see II the papers
have anything to say about it.
"'Strange, Mr.. Fl don't come for his
boots, said my wife 4 w,nder If you could
be mistaken about his calling for them2
"'PerhapS he has forgotten 1t himself, and
is waiting at home for them; and here 1t is 8
O'clock
so saying. took the boots and started
for my customers house. / had good way
to 60, but hurried as fast as | could. thinking
all the time OF the spot on the greenback and
the snot On my finger, for never thought to
wash 1t of.
Il mounted the steps and rang the bell.
"The door was opened SO quick that 1t
startled me, and there stood a sweet, pretty
girl, fourteen or fifteen years old, dressed for
traveing-hat and all on.
down.
Papa is not home yet, and it is SO
strange. she cried. I was watching for him.
we We're to leave for Boston by the quarter
RasLa express train, and it Is that now. Papa
, ~ always 50 punctual, can't think what to
~&aan talking to me. .ohe thinning aiouu
sunat Fhaibaoly business detains him, Miss
y could not hap sas na aoaot:
th nser as spoke mean the figger thai az baS S
1he Young girl. 'o'n Inc nnger to
~ 20 you think snything has hannenod =
n a.H she demanded, earnestly. ADpeiieu 70
~ .. nome in q few minutes, oure 70
4le words nearly choked me H4wIoo+