Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-04-05
THE OFFICE BOYS STORY.

he UT lSE DO Il y C1Op l..
He sent me to get Mr.. Coles bill, the
bsss did, and he said to hurry up. Well,
/ did. l ran all the way there, and Mr..
Coles he paid it, and it was forty dollars,
and took and tucked it into my hat
band inside, in the sweat" as my un-
Gle, that's the halter, calls it, for money
has been snatched from fellers, and fel-
lers' pockets hare been picked, you
know.
Nobody wanted my old hat, and l felt
as safe as bank with the money that
WAS in it.
And so going home, when l saw Jim
and Bill Riggs playing marbles, stop
ped to speak to 'em.
Come and play says they.
Can't says l. 'Doin' narrand.
oh, pshaw,' says they, just one game.
Well, l thought l had time enough,
and gave in, and it We went-and / GO
into anything when L do go into it, do
and l was playing, l can tell you, for
all | was worth, when all of sudden
Bill says:
'Benjie, where's your hat?'
My hat
l gave howl and put my hand to my
head. 1t was bare.
oh, fellers, says l, don't tease me
Give it back. It's got suthing into it.
But Jim and Bill both swore they hadn't
got it, and nobody had passed by but
two old ladies and a big gentleman, a
regular swell, they said. 1 hadn't seen
'em, but they couldn't want boys old
hat. Jim and Bill turned their pockets
out, and let me feel their backs. Iney
hadn't got it. And looked high and |
looked low, and felt as if | was going
crazy, for l couldn't find it. l didn't
know what would be done to me: but |
thought maybe Id be sent to prison.
And | thought, considering what my old
granny would say to me, and how she'd
feel if she was to see me in a striped
suit with chain on my leg, I'd better
go hang myself, only that was wicked
and no knowing where I'd go to- If
was to run away it would be about as
bad for granny. And if was to offer
10 pay it out of my wages, l only got
two dollars week, and two times twen-
ty is forty, and twenty weeks is most
six months; and a feller has to have
shoes, and | give one to gianny for my
baard, and how she'd get me any with.
out it-for washing don't bring in for
tune-I didn't know.
oh, fellers! fellersp says l. 'Oh, fell
lers! I'm just done fort It's all over
with NE. I've failed. wish somebody
would kill me, for there was money in
that hat that belongs to the boss, and it's
stole and gone forever"
That's rough. Benjie,' says Bill. oh
that is rough on you
You hadn't order stopped to play
with u.s. says Jim.
No. says !. L hadn't orter. What
would yon do:' t
I'D own up,' says Bill.
I'D run away says Jim. L think
somebody must have kuowed about the
money, AMI followed you up. And |
think it was the swell old gent Pickpock-
cts look fash enoug sometimes
Whoever got it, I'll never have il
again says L. Goodbye, fellers. May
be you'll never sec me any more And
off L went.
wasn't sure Jim hadn't got it. but |
knew about Bill. Bill vas square.
| went office-ways at first. Then l
turned back and went towards granny's.
felt like I'd die, and L wished | would.
j thought if did, granny could tell 'em
afterward. So up went, and there she
stood at table, starching, poor old soul!
why, Benjie,' says she. what brings
you home so early, and where's your
hat?'
Well, when she asked that / broke
down. hadn't cried sinceI was little
feller, but / beloved then.
'Oh granny says /, some one stole nv
hat when L was playin' migglesl Oh,
granny! grannyp
'Twasn't much for hat says she.
You don't know low much it was.
granny says L.
Your only one, says she. Poor boy |
I'll lend you my night-cap tomorrow.
Don't laugh says l. 1T may be my
death, granny
Have you caught cold, Benjie?' SAYS
she, 'or were you ashamed of bare
head? See, lad: don't fret. It's all a