Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1891-02-14

the door closed, hes good plucked one
showed spirit But I'll show spirit. too;
Meeson is man of his word Cut him
off with a shilling? not |; cut him off
with nothing at all And yet. curse it. |
like the lad Well, I've done with him.
thanks to that mink of a Smithers girl,
Perhaps he's sweet on her; then thew can
GO and starve together, and be hanged to
theml She had better keep out Of nv
way, for she shall smart for this; so sure
as my name is Jonathan Meeson, I'll keep
her up to the letter of that agreement
and, if she tries to publish book inside
of this country or out of it, I'll crush her
yes, I'll crush her If il costs me five
thousand to do It'll" and with snarl he
dropped his fist heavily upon the table be-
fore him.
Then he rose, put poor Augusta's agree
ment carefully back into the safe, which
h shut with savage snap, and proceeded
to visit the various departments of his
vast establishment, and to make such hav
therein as had never before been dreamed
of in the classic halls of Nelson's
To this hour the clerks of the great
house talk of that dreadful day with
bated breath-for as bloody Hector ragged
through the Greeks, so did the great Nee
son rage through his hundred depart
ments In the very first office he caught
wretched clerk eating sardine sand
witches Without a moments hesitation
he took the sandwiches and threw them
through the window
do you suppose pay you to come and
eat your filthy sandwiches here?'' he
asked, savagely. There, now you can
go and look for them; and see you here.
you needn't trouble to come back. Won
idle, worthless fellow Off you gol and
remember you need not send to me for
character Now. then-double quick"
The unfortunate departed feeblv re.
monstrating, and Meeson, having glared
around at the other clerks and warned
them that unless they were careful-very
careful-they would soon follow in his
tracks. continued his course of devasta-
ton.
Presently he met an editor, No. 7 it
was, who was bringing him an agreement
to sign He snatched it from him and
glanced through it.
What do you mean by bringing me
thing like this?" he said; cts all wrong"
1T is exactly as you dictated it to me
yesterday, sir" said the editor, indig-
nantly
Nv hat, do you mean to contradict me2"
roared Meeson Look here. No Z, you
and had better part Now, no words;
your salary will be paid to you till the
end of the month"; and, if you would like
to bring an action for wrongful dismissal,
why, I'm your man. Good morning, No.
Z; good morning.
Next he crossed a court yard where by
slipping stealthily round a corner. he
came upon jolly little errand boy, who
was enjoying a solitary game of marbles.
Whack came his cane across the seat of
that errand boys trousers, and in another
minute he had followed the editor and the
sandwich devouring clerk
And so the merry game went on for
half an hour or more, till at last Mr.. Nee
son was fam to cease his troubling, being
too exhausted to continue his DESTROYING
course. But next morning there was pro
motion going on in the great publishing
house; eleven vacancies had to be filed.
a couple of glasses of brown sherry
and a few sandwiches, which he hastily
swallowed at neighboring restaurant,
quickl y restored him, however, and, jump
ing into cab, he drove post haste to his
lawyers, Messrs. Todd & James.
is Mr.. Todd in?" he said to the manag-
ing clerk, who came forward bowling OBJ
sequiously to the richest man in Birming-
ham.
MIR. Todd will be diseDgaged in few
minutes, sir, he said. May offer you
The Times?''
Damn The Times!' was the polite an
swer. Il don't come here to read news
papers. Tell Mr.. Todd that must see
him at once, or else l shall go elsewhere. "
Il am much afraid, sir'-began the
managing clerk.
Mr. Meeson jumped up and grabbed
his hat. Now, then, what is it to be?'
he said.
"Oh, certainly, sir; pray be seated"
answered the manager in great alarm
Nelson's business was not a thing to be
lightly lost. Il will see Mr.. Todd in
stantly," and he vanished.
Almost simultaneously with his depart
ure an old lady was unceremoniouslv
bundled out of an inner room, clutching
feebly at reticule full of papers, and
proclaiming loudly that her head was 90
ing round and round The poor old soul
was just altering her will for the eight
zenith time in favor of brand new char
lty, highly recommended by royalty; and
to be suddenly shot from the revered
presence of her lawyer into the outer
darkness of the clerks office was really
too much for her.
In another minute Mr.. Meeson was be-
ing warmly, even enthusiastically, greeted
by Mr. Todd himself Mr.. Todd was a
nervous looking, jumpy little man. who
spoke in jerks and gushes in such q way
as to remind one of fire hose through
which water was being pumped intermit.
tently.
How do you do, my dear sir? De-
lighted to have this pleasure, he began
with a SUDDEN gush, and then suddenly
dried up as he noticed the ominous ex-
preston on the great mans brow Il
am sure | am very sorry that you were
kept waiting, my dear sir; but I was at
the moment engaged with an excellent
and most Christian testator"-
Here he suddenly jumped and dried up
again, for Mr. Meeson, without the
slightest warning, calculated. Curse
your Christian testatorl And, look here,
Todd, just you see that it does not hap
pen again I'm Christian testator, too;
and Christians of my cut aren't accus-
toned to be kept standing about just like
office boys or authors See that it don't
happen again, Todd"
Il am sure | am exceedingly grieved
Circumstances" -
oh never mind all that want my
will"
"Will-will Forgive me-a little con.
fused, that's all Your manner is so full of
hearty old middle ages kind of vigor"--
Here he stopped, more suddenly even
than usual for Mr. Meeson fixed him with
his savage eye, and then jerked himself
out of the room to look for the document
in question
Little idiotI' muttered Meeson; "TIl
give him the sack, too, if he isn't more
careful By Jovel why should | not have
my own resident solicitor? | could get a