Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1883-06-30
THE BAD BOYS AMBITION.
He RETIREs FROM THE SODA
WATER BUSINESS.


second Booth.
You look sleepy" said the grocery
'msn 70 tie bad,boy, as He came in the
store .yawning. and stretched himself
out on the counter with his head on a
pile OF brown wrapping paper. in reach
of box of raisins; s what's the mat
ter? Been sitting up with your girl
all night: 7"
NAV J l wish / had. Wakefulness
with my girl is sweeter and more rest
full than sleep. No, this is the result
of being dutiful son, and am tired.
You see pa and ma have separated.
That is, not for keeps. but pa has got
frightened about burglars, and he goes
up into the attic to sleep. He says it
IS to get fresh air, but he knows better.
Ma has got SO accustomed to pas
snoring that she can't go to sleep
without it, and the first night pa lett
she didn't sleep a wink, and yester-
day | was playing on an old a.cor-
dion that l traded dog collar for
after our dog was poisoned, and when
l touched the low notes 1 noticed ma
dozed off to sleep, it sounded so much
like pas snore, and last night ma made
me set up and play for her to sleep.
She rested splendid, but am all broke
up, and | sold the accordion this morn
ing to the watchman who watches our
block. 1t is queer what a different
effect music will have on different peo-
pie. While ma was sleeping the sleep
of innocence under the influence of my
counterfeit of pas snore, the night
watchnian was broke of his rest by it,
and he bought it of me to give it to the
son of an enemy of his. Well, have
quit jerking soda
"No, you don't tell me-" said the
grocery man, as he moved the box of
yraislns out of reach :. You never will
amount to anything unless you St ick
to one trade or profession. A rolling
hen never catches the early angle
worm"
"Oh. but am all right now. In the
soda business there is no chance for
genius to rise, unless the soda fountain
explodes. 1t is all wind, and one gets
tired of constant fizz. He feels that
he is fraud, and when he puts little
syrup in a tumbler and fires little
sweetened wind and water in it, until
the soapsuds fill the tumbler, and
charges ten cents for that which only
costs cent, sensitive soda jerker,
who has reformed, feels that it is worse
than three-card monte. | couldn't
stand the wear on my conscience, so l
have got permanent job as super,
and shall open the first of September"
"Say, what's super? 1t isn't one
of these free lunch places, that the
mayor closes at midnight, is it?' and
the grocery man looked sorry.
"Oh, thunder, you want salt on you.
A super is an adjunct to the stage. A
supe is fellow that assists the stars
and things, carrying chairs and taking
up carpets, and sweeping the sand off
the stage after dancer has danced a
jig, and he brings beer for the actors,
and does anything that he can to add
to the effect of the play. Privately,
now, l have been acting as supe for
long time. on the sly. and my folks
didn't know anything about it, but
since l reformed and decided to be
1a about il The news broke ma ali
up. at first. but pa said some of the
hest a tors in this country were sunes
once. and some of them were now. and
he Thought supine would be the making
of me. Ma thought going ON the STAGE
would be INV ruination. She said the
theatre was the hotbei of sin. and
brought more ruin than the church