San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-06-12
MONK"

The first time | ever saw the person whose
name heads this sketch was when he walked
into the office where held the position of
bookkeeper, and asked the general manager
for job
In appearance he was almost hideous, his
face being wider than it was broad, sur
mounted by patch of woo!ly hair that came
to the very edge of his eyebrows; so close, in
fact, that the point of beginning could not
be determined of either.
cavernous mouth, containing rows Of
fangs that were continually in sight, opened
beneath a nose of startling hatness.
short chunky body, with long arms and
hands, that were seldom still, completes the
best description can give of Monk"
The only thing that secured him place
was the shortness of hands, for the general
manager turned to me when the negro walked
out, and said:
did you ever see such an evil face on a
human beingr
My reply was in the affirmative.
Monk, however, much to my surprise,
proved to be one of the best men we had, and
everything went on as usual, until about two
months after his appearance.
Then we began to be bothered with petty
thieving from the commissary, which baf1ed
the sharp eyed clerk who held full sway in
that department.
l should have mentioned before that the
scene of this action was at large sawmlll,
where, as is the case with all large manufac-
turers, we sold goods to our er! ?loyes
The robberies, at first small and of little
consequence, soon began to grow oftener and
on larger scale.
Articles were marked and all such plans
worked, but to no purpose, for the thief
would leave the marked goods and take
something else. Finally it gotso boldly COM
mitted that the general manager secured the
help of q detective and put him at work on
the case.
After couple of weeks the detective came
in the Office and went into the private room
of the general manager.
After conference of q ew'moments, they
came out smiling.
We've got him" chuckled my employer
and who do you think it is9'
Monk" | replied my first thought being
of the meanest looking negro on the place.
Correct" said the general manager, land
what do you suppose he did with the stuff he
tooliF'
That's more than can tell"
"Well, the detective is to show us tonight,
and he says we will not hurt Monk for it, if
we are the people he takes us to be-"
That night the general manager, detective
and myself were secreted near the commits.
sary, waiting for Monk to show himself
About 10 O'Clock we saw his ugly form
come sliding through one of the windows, in
company with two sacks of -four and numer-
Gus other bundles.
He stood still for short time after getting
to the ground, and looked carefully around;
then, as if satisfied that he was unseen, he
shouldered his load and marched silently of,
with US in the rear. He went about two
miles through the woods, and finally came to
Lait before small cabin.
Softly he crept to the door and listened, as
if to be sure no one was up.
Then he took one of the sacks of flour and
laid it noiselesSly on the front steps, and piled
some of the other packages on it
This done, he went on with the rest Of his
load
His actions were perfect mystery to me,
and the detective said:
Il want you to stay here until day, to
watch the person who takes that stuff away,
while this gentleman and will follow him to
the other places"
agreed, and began lonely watch.
The hours before day seemed ages, but when
the first rays of the sun gilded the waving
trees, was alert and at my post.
Just few moments after the sun arose, the
door was opened by little white .rirl, who
gave q cry of delight, as her eyes fell on the
provisions and called to some one in the
house:
"Old Sanity has been here again"
In answer to her cry boy joined her and
the two lifted the -four and packages ard
moved them into the house.
When they disappeared, crept closer to
the cabin and peered through a hole between
he logs and this is what | saw:
In one corner Of the little l0xl2 room, on
an old and torn mattress, lay the form of q
woman, covered with a tattered shawl and
apparently asleep.
The room contained no furniture with the
exception Of a rickety table and two home
manufactured chairs
There was no other occupant to the place,
save this woman and the two children, the
eldest Of whom was not over s years.
When | reached my post of observation
the boy and girl were standing beside the
still form of the woman, trying to arouse her
Nanny" the girl said, get up and see
what we've got this morning; old Santy has
brought US some real flour, and coffee and
sugar, and, oh, so many nice things"
But the figure did not move.
Don't bother her." spoke the boy, she's
tired out; don't you know how she cried and
set up last night"
YES" smiled the sister, 81 will get break
fast, and then wake her; won't she be happy,
Thoughts"
And those two BEGAN prenarinp n meal