Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-05-01
THE COi5DLER'S STORY
BY RICHARD B. KIMBALL.

he came running down the steps of
my shop-this very basement-and sat
down in that chair, all out of breath.
was hammecing away, polishing off
a new sole which l had Just fitted to a.
customers boot. I was in great hurry,
because [ had promised the boots at two
O clocA, and 1t Was now full quarter
pas. should not have minded that,
but Inc gentleman said he should GER
fanny call for them at two. He was a
good customer, and I did not wish to
disacpoint him.
" 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 tie boots, and I kept hammer.
ing all the harder.
The young mamie was a young
man: not more than one-and-twenty-
sat abouta minute, till he gothis breath.
Then he spoke up, in a savage, domineer-
ing way:
$50 Look here, old fellow, here's little
JOB want you to attend tc while wait;
am in a hurry
L did not like his tone; and, raising
my eyes to his face, did not like his
looks, either. For all that, he was
handsome, well-built fellow-a regular
dandy, l should say. What struck me
particularly was that he was as pale as q
ghost.
"'Can't touch your Job till l en-
through with this. shall be done in g.
few minutes
"Times we're dull, you see, and /
thought l would hold on to him, if
could.
He swore a big oath, which startled
me so much that 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 of.
"sHow long?' he demanded, sharply.
y examined the boot-a neat button
gaiter, almost new, best French leather,
tirst-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, 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 centre
an odd sort of job, wasn't it?
s.' WE'LL exclaimed the man, saVagelv.
what are you waiting for? Why don't
you answer?'
GO Where is the heel?' l asked.
So In Perdition,' he muttered; and
have half mind to send you there after
it,
II was frightened. 1 had read so
many murder cases in the newspapers,
was afraid l 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.
"s 1t will take a good hour I SAID,
and | can t make neat job at that
"Will give you thirty minutes he
answered, taking out his watch. 'Botch
it any way you like, only make it
strong. Thirty minutes, mind.'
=" went to work with all my might,
the young man cycling me every instant.
l felt all the time as If he was pointing
a revolver at me.
"Do you object if do this with peg.
work" said, when came to the heel:
it will save good fifteen minutes.'
"' Peg away he growled. Time al.
most up
" 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 boot.
"' Now button it, he said.
81 did so.
"He took a glance at the street, then
ne tumbled in his pocket, and pulling
out roll OF bills, threw me five.
ihere you arev he exclaimed
will be back one of these days for the
change WV
"sos saying, he darted off double.ouick,
and, turning up the street, was out Of
sight before could count three.
"My first thought was that he had
given me counterfeit note. But I dis
covered, on examining it, that it wa
genuine, and no mistake.
"'I am in luck to-day l thought
Five dollars for thirty minutes work!
con looking a little more careful a
the bill, | perceived on one corner a dro]
Of something red, which did not appea
to be exactly dry. No, I can't say i
was red, like red paint or vermilion; yes
it aoas red, thoug h-leastwise more ret
than anything else. 1t looked SO fresl
mat put my finger on the spot, just a
one might say, without thinking Of any
tnlng PARTICULAR; yet I was in kind o.
Puzzle' !oo' considering it did look, as
Z was telling you, quite fresh-like.
y" hen l put my finger on the spo
and took it off again, something stainef
it-~somethipg which-well, I can neve,
forget that to my dying day. did no
know what to do, SO | called to my wifi,
A -~she was in the next room and the doo
!. Was open. Says I:
g" Wife, come here
".What's wantipg?' says she, a. sh