The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-10-08

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not lose much after all; but to lose even
a penny was most grievous to him, and
he felt justified now in telling oil whom
it might concern, and many whom it did
not, that he was clean ruined and would
have to go to the workhouse. However,
IN the course of few days, he wendell
his way to the fire. station, with his
scorched hands wrapped in potato poul-
tees and a piteous look on his face, and
asked to see Dolittle, who happened to
be on duty.
"Ah, Gott of Moshes, you got burnt,
too, Mishter Dolittle?" exclaimed the
Jew, noticing the bandages on the fire.
mans forehead. "Vell, 1 owe you my
thanks, but I'm poor man, s'help me
Gott, quite ruined am; but I'll tell you
vat, I'll renew your bill for another
| quarter and ask no interest, and, shee,
dish is to drink my health III -
Flesh and blood could do no more
Old Greinhardt hobbled away, having
actually left golden sovereign in the
| fireman's hands, and RENTED 30 sbil-
lings interest to him. He heard Bills
hearty thanks behind him, and truly
felt that they were deserved, for was he
was not 70 shillings a large price to pay
even for having ones life saved? But
then there was the property which Bill
had saved too On this part of the
! question Nathan Greiuehardt did not
care to dwell. He was suspicious by
profession, and he found two of his gold
watches missing. He deemed that he
was making great concession when he
muttered to himself 81 don't believe
that fireman shtole de watches-he looks
like an honest man-but, oh my Colt,
dey wash beautiful watches"
| For many weeks Greindhardt grum-
bled thus over his lost property and his
two watches, which he remembered, or
at least said he remembered, having
| placed in his bag. But always he would
repeat to himself: "Dat [ believe was
an honesht fireman." and one evening
when he was by himself, sitting very
thoughtful beside his lonely fire, he put
| William Dolittle's bill for .e3O into the
| flames.
There must have been some curious
twists and turns in the old Jews mind.
He went about his work in the same
grubblng styleas of old; he made money,
he lent 1t, he mOaned over the hardness
OF the times, and constantly sighed abe ut
the work-house as his inevitable doom.
But sometimes. when there were no
customers IN the shop, he would sit with
his two elbows on the counter, and his
head buried III his hands in deep
thought. One day he canght a cold,
and soon made it worse by not taking
care of himself; but whom could he
trust in his shop if he took to his bed 1?
"Poor men mustn't be i'll, SIR" he said
to the hospital doctor, whom he went to
consult gratis; but ON the next day his
illness had become serious, and he had
to remain III bed. Then he sent for
Bill Dolittle, who was not yet aware that
his EDO bill had been destroyed The
Jew told him nothing of this, but asked
him "iust to mind the shop for an hour
or two" 81 desshay 1 shall be well
towards the afternoon" he said, while
his teeth chartered with fever; "and
you shall have half crown, Misther
Dolittle, for l know you're an honest
man."
These were the last words the queer
old fellow ever uttered to any human
nearer, for when Bill presently went up
to see him he found him dead. There
was a shabby little funeral few days
| afterward, and Bill was the sole mourner
who followed the hearse. Then present
| ly, when the fremen returned home, he
| found letter from a solicitor, informing
him that he had been left sole heir to
Mr.. Greindhardt's property, amounting
| to about 100000. This will was dated
about six weeks after the fire, and about
a fortnight after the bill for G30 had
been destroyed, as was shown by a
record in the old Jews books.
So it seemed that somebody-some-
body III heaven-had seen the 4" signs of
distress which poor Bill Dolittle flew
on that day after his child's funeral,
when he thought himself GOING down
with all hands on board"
Measter," said Bill to the Jews
solicitor, as soon as he had been put in
possession of all his property. Measter,
we'll just stick all those bills for money
lent into the fire. They're my bills now,
and lots of poor people who signed 'em
must be having burning hearts now.
Shove 'em into the fire every one of 'em
or, rather let me do it. q"
And Bill watched by the fire while
| fully 95, 900 of his new won fortune was
| being converted into smoke.