The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-03-27
A SQUARE MAN.
A TRUE STORY.
} ended and summer is gone

shoes
Thomas is as honest, kindly soul as
ever drew breath or pen, and his hatred of
every species. of vulgarity was doubtless
born in him at the same time with his
''niceness."
called on Thomas few weeks ago,
and, greatly to my surprise, saw moving
about. with every appearance of being
perfectly at home and in enjoyment of full
confidence, and performing many duties
in a crab-like, awkward. bull-in- a china
shop sort of way, my old, young friend,
''Stumpy," the youth who used to ''shine"
my boots every morning when | lived In
that locality. He was well named by who
ever bestowed upon him that title; he had
stumpy legs, stumpy body, stumpy arms,
a stumpy nose, and the top of his head
looked as though while still warm, it had
been carefully flattened by violent pressure
from stove-pate or some like level-sur-
faced implement. Thomas T. r. shook
my hand in mild rapture. while Stumpy
grinned welcome all over the back of his
head, and became, through excitement,
more crab-like than ever in his move
ments
gaZed in silent establishment at this
strange but evidently satisfactory as
ISOLATION, and waited for time to reveal the
secret
Time did this-dinner time, when l &C.
companied my friend to his bachelor quar-
tiers
What in the name of all that is mixed"
l asked, ''are you doing with that boy in
your officer
My dear sir, replied Thomas T. R.
he always commences his speeches as
formally as he does his letters-''that is
century. A rough diamond, sir, / assure
you; still rough, but very, very re-
markably valuable diamond, on my
honor"
And this is the story gathered from
the rather long-spun and slightly stilted
recital of my friend.
Despite his detestation of everything
vulgar, Thomas T. r. was forced, by sad
| experience, to acknowledge that from no
boOtblack in his vicinity could he obtain
shine" of the same refulgence and per
petuity as from Stumpy, and though the
appearance of the lad was revolving to his
nicely, and the language of the street
arab continually shocked all his ideas of
| proprietv, still Thomas, T. r. outraged
his ewes and his ears for the sake of the
patent ledder shine" which seemed to
| come al the call of the nimble brushes
| of vigorous Stumpy, as from those of none
other of the craft, and certain degree of
intimacy was established between the two
very opposite characters.
Stumpy was by no means diffident
youth. and soon after feeling satisfied that
his contract. was permanent one as re-
garded the backing of Thomas T. RS
boots. be began to impress upon the mind
of the latter his (Stumpy's) aspirations for
'gittin' ahead"
I'm squar, Boss, am" he would saw.
IAN yo' kin count on me effry time Ny
ole mann she brung me up to be squar',
an | amt goin' back on 'er, no how. De
Gle man. he amt no good, he amt. He's
s-doin' time JPN de island, OATS wat he is.
an de third er fort er fif time he's been
der. He amt no good. But my ole mann,
she's all dar, she is an I'm squar', am,
an done We ferget it. An say, Boss,
| whom yO' wants Teller roun' ter clean I'D
an SIGH, gi's a show. won'tcherP I'm
rough lookin', but I'm squar' an don'tcher
forgit it"
And then Stumpy would shoulder his
box, pocket his nickel, and swing out in
pursuit of more business.
Constant contact with the boy reconciled
Thomas L. Il. TO many pecu1iarities, the
continual harping upon the one desire to
git ahead, and his being ever within
| call gradually introduced him into the
| office at other times than when he was
improving the shining hour" and
Thomas L. r., much to his own surprise,
| found, after awhile. that he was delegat
| ing TO ''Stumpy" the busting and arrang-
| ing of his own private desk or table, which
previously had been sacred to the atten-
tons of his hands only. Stumpy had, by
Suffrance. corner in the office where he
could sit and scribe when not profession
ally engaged outside, and so painstaking
and industrious was he that T. T. X. soon
found he could employ the new hand in
directing envelopes, and the prompt feet in
doing much travel that he once thought
could be performed by none but his own.
And Stumpy in all cases proved the
'squar man" he boasled himself: one con-
fiGcnce followed the other until the bow
was intrusted, from time to time, with
matters of value that caused Thomas I. X.
to atterward wonder at his own reckless
ness. But Stumpy was ''Squar'."
1t was during the strike of the street
railroad men in New York city, not very
many months ago, that Stumpy and his
'squar ness were forced TO undergo the
hardest nd Of a test.
Without discussing the merits or causes
of the strike or the labor question, one
thing is certain-in all this. as in all popu-
lar upriSings. there were many lawless
characters among and about the crowd ef
excited strikerS-men who neither labored
or cared for labor, but were keen for plum
der, violence, or any advantage to them
selves.
On Third avenue was the battle ground
of the strikers and the railway corpora
ton. Those were anxious times to all en-
ployers. Those of Thomas T. r. were busy
As usual, or even more busy than usual,
in their respective departments in and out
of the factory, leaving 10 my friend the |
entire control of the books and office.
1t was about the close of bank hours on |
a certain day, money was wanted to paw |
some of the hands who had been employ |
cd upon piece work Thomas T. R. re-
n.embered This later than he should have |
Gone. He sent for one of the firm or |
suitable representative 10 relieve him while |
he went TO draw the money; none could be |
found. He was in dilemma.
Then he remembered Stumpy. He had |
trusted the boy before-why not again?
Stumpy was within hail, and was hailed |
"a check waa given him, with money 70
car fare, and ne was ordered to go to the |
bank and return with the money as quick
" as possible.
Stumpy reached the bank. drew the
money. came out from the il stitution, |
-rasping a good sized bag contain ing notes
and silver in his hand and look ID for the |
CarS Tbnra ySnre nnne in pht He L