Democratic messenger., 1881-11-05
THE INDEPENDENT LOCKSMITH.
How He was Master OF the Situa-
tion and Knew it.

tion and Knew il.
Pat Lyon, the great locksmith of his
day, was often sent for by presidents of
banks and other great people, and he
rather liked the idea of keeping the
great people waiting. SO one morning
Pat said he would come as soon as he
had done his breakfast, which happened
to be good deal later than usual this
particular morning.
Pretty soon came second messenger
for Pat from the bank president, and so
Pat started off with messenger No. 2.
When he reached the bank he found the
president and cashier and clerks all in a
fret and fume They couldn't open
the safe to get the money out for the
business of the day; something or other
was the matter with the lock. They
were in deal of stew, and hailed Pat
on his arrival with delight, for now they
could open the lock.
Pat was bald-headed, and had habit
of rubbing his hands on his pate, thus
really rubbing his hair away. He wore
spectacles as a general thing, but when
he was particularly desirous of looking
at anything, or was particularly excited,
he took his spectacles off his eyes and
fixed them over his forehead.
He now rubbed his hands over his
head a minute, put his spectacles over
his forehead, looked at the lock half
minute, worked at it with his tools q
minute or two, and the lock was fixed
all right and the safe was ready to open.
The president was delighted. So was
the cashier. They shook hands with
Pat, who received their salutations with
good deal of style.
"And now Mr.. Lyon" asked the
president, "what is yonr charge?
Pat put up his spectacles little high
er, just little, and said:
Zone hundIed dollars"
"What One hundred dollars for
less than three minutes work, Mr..
Lyon? Why this is outrageous" said
the president.
cit is extortion," said the cashier.
"All right" said Pat Lyon, rubbing
his hand over his head, and then put
ting his spectacles q little higher over
his forehead-just little. "You woD't
give me my money! won't give you
my work. And I'll leave things as /
found them" Here he took hold of
the lock, and circussing with it, got it
out of gear, as it was first, and SO left
the safe in precisely the same Inopena-
BILE condition as he found it. Then he
started togo home
But the president and the cashier, APP
preciating the situation, seeing what .
fix they were in, begged Pat to let up
on them, and fix the lock so they could
open the SAFE ....
Pat complied with their request, but
stil kept his hand on the safe door. Tt
was all ready to open, but wasn't yet
opened.
"Now, be reasonable in your charges;
do, Mr.. Lyon" said the bank presi-
dent.
"Two hundred dollars" said Pat, rub
bing his head and raising his spectacles
once more. ..-
"Why, this is downright robbery, :"
cried the president.
"Might as well break into the safe as
open it at that rate," remarked the
cashier.
"All right" said Pat, circussing with
the lock rapidly, before anybody could
prevent him, and then bar Eging the safe
door to, leaving it for the third time
hermetically sealed.
BY this time the president had his
mad up. He ordered Pat. out of the
office, and'sent for q rival blacksmith.
He came quick enough, and worked and
fused long enough and hard enough,
but he didn't fix the lock and he couldn't
open the safe. And it got to be nearly
ten o'clock, and no money available
yet.
In despair third messenger was dis
patched after Pat Lyon, who came back
with lot of extra dignity.
"Open that safe at your own terms,
Mr.. Patrick Lyon" said the president
Pat rubbed his head, put his specta,
cles way up on his forehead, and opened
the safe.
"Now your TERMS" said the presi-
dent.
"Three hundred dollars" said Pat.
The cashier protested, but the presi-
dent paid the money. "Why, he will
ask for $400 next time" remarked The
president to the cashier.
"Excuse me" said Pat, with dignity,
''but my terms next time viii be five
hundred"
"You see," said the president to the
cashier, as he gave him the check.
And Pat rubbed his head and took
his check without a word. He was
master of the situation and he knew it.