The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-01-24
Yo0NG MAN, BE HONEST.
Cnsle Jonas Catches His Brisk Young
Nephew Initiating Him,

i am on the turf now" said a flashy.
black eyed young man, still in his teens,
to an acquaintance whom he met at the
Guttenburg races. am out for money,
and everything goes"
when did you quit your uncle's hook
shopT asked the boys acquaintance.
Las week We'n'sdy. He fireS. me out
for trying to work one of his own games.
One of the funniest rackets you ever
heard OF, and I'm just sore enough on the
old man to give it dead away. The old
man was going up Center street one day
last summer, and he stopped in second
hand tool shop to see friend. While he
was there he got monkeying with second
hand signal box. 1t was little cast
iron thing with the word police" on the
front and brass button on the top
When he pressed the button it set a lot
OF clockwork going in the box, and made
as much noise as an alarm clock. He
was stuck on the thing and bought it for
half. asked him what he was going
to do with it and he said he would stick
it up on the wall and ring it if any
toughs tried to make trouble in the shop.
Well, that's just what he did with It.
lie screwed it up in plain sight behind
the counter and fastened wires to it to
make 1t look as if they went somewhere.
Then he took some bronze paint and
touched up the letters so that nobody
could make any mistake in reading them.
l don't believe he thought of what a
great graft the box was until he had it
up about week. Then he made it use
ful for the first time. A young fellow
came in with dress coat wrapped up in
newspaper and wanted five cases ON it.
Uncle Jonas held the coat up and sized
it up with the fellow that was trying to
soak it. The coat was big enough for
two like him and the old man saws:
Dots nice coat. Ees id your own?
'Betcher life,' says the young feller.
"'Vait till l call my bruder says the
old man, and he turned and jammed the
button down hard on the signal box.
The young feller just gave one glance at
the box, and he shot out of the door and
left the coat behind. He amt been seen
around there since. After that the old
man give me to understand | was to
come along kinder slow any time when
he rung the box, SO that if people didn't
scare, they would take it that the call
was for me, and then he would consult
me about the goods that were offered.
He worked the call on a man with a
So'N "otNi iiCAb anu Tile man
snatched the watch out of his hand and
skipped. After that he was more care.
full, and when crook came in with a
ring day or two later, he laid the ring
down out of reach and touched the but
ton, saying that he would call his son
and get his opinion about the stone.
The crook looked at the call box and ran
his eye along the wires which ran toward
the front of the shop Then he began to
swear, and made jump for the side |
door. Next day nice looking fellow
came in and described the ring, and said |
that it was stolen from him, and that he |
had cornered the man who stole it, and |
learned where it was.
All right; will send for it, saws the /
old man, and then he touched the button
again.
will come in again in half an
hour says the nice looking young feller.
and skips out the door. Did he come
back! Nav. Well, the old man worked
the new snap every chance he got, hut
sometimes he got fooled, and then had
to come to the front and be consulted,
always askin': Did you ring, sir? One
day when the old man was out to dinner
feller come in with stud 1t was a
real bug and l wanted to win it. So |
sprung the call box on him. He shot out
Of the side door and dropped the ring
IN my pocket. Two minutes later me
uncle put his hand on my shoulder, and
TWO big tears ran down his nose as he
Ia me that he was sorry that he had
.ound out that | was not honest. He
ave ME calking old lecture on honesty
p ing the best policy, and told me that
70 had been watching me from the back
rt of the shop and seen me git the
plenuine tiamont. | had to give it up
% him, and he is wearing it now while /
\ on my uppers Oh, yes, he fired me
yust as soon as he found l wasn't hon.
st. You 60 up there tomorrow and
zee if he don't ring the box on you and
ry to bluff you out of your watch. Then
SIX him about me. New York Sun.