The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-02-04
A BIT OF WALL PAPER.

- I'LL VI VAIL L AIEllls
SENTIMENTAL "REMINISCENCES or An
/ OLD GENTLEMAN.
He Was from Troy, but He Started Life
In the Metropolis-Rememb o
/ His Early Married Life-struggling for
y Memento-The Hard Hearted Boss.
A middle aged man who was gazing
i. absently out of a window of an elevated
"-hnr day started suddenly and
car ruo hig hole il
craned his neck to LOOK a~
the wall OF brick and brown stone front
| by which the train was passing. Two
or three houses had been torn down to
make room for improvements, and the
hole was all that was left of them, save
a litter of broken bricks in the cellar
and an acre or SO of wall paper in many
designs upon the sides of the adjoining
building. The middle aged man got out
at the next station and walked back to
the hole. He stood on the sidewalk a
moment, looking first up into the air and
then at the half dozen worknen who
were removing the last traces of the
wreck. Presently he appeared to pluck
up resolution, for he gravely descended
the rough plank gangway that led from
the street to the bottom of the hole and
approached the boss of the gang.
'Been tearing down these houses, ]
see" !" remarked the middle aged man by
way of introduction.
The boss stared.
eve amt been putin rp any.o he re-
sponded.
SEEKING A SOUVENIR.
''That's what 1 meant" said the mid
die aged man imperturbably. ''Would
you mind lending me ladder for a
minute or two?"
'What in thunder do you want to do
with it?" exclaimed the boss.
81 want to climb up to that piece of
paper" responded the middle aged man,
pointing to section of the wall that
was covered with a greenery gallery de-
sign. 'sYou see." he continued, 81 used
to live there"
There was suspicion of moisture in
the middle aged mans eyes and faint
| smile on his lips as he said this, and he
| looked up at the soiled patch of paper as
traveller might view the receding lights
OF his native town. The boss was puz-
zled and suspicious, but after a moment
of silence, while he pretended to be
watching his men. he said:
"You can take that one in the corner
if you'll move it yourself and put it back
again"
The middle aged man bowed without
word, took off his overcoat and laid it
gently upon a pile of bricks, laid down
his cane, and proceeded, at the expense
of no Little exertion, to place the ladder
AS he began to climb up the boss ran
over and said threateningly:
.sSee here, now; no shenanigin! You'll
only get broken bone or two if you fall
from that ladder
The middle aged man laughed quietly.
"Do not fear" he answered; I'm not
going to commit suicide. I'll be down
all right in few minutes
Nevertheless the boss detailed two of
his men to stand under the ladder to
break the fall of the stranger should he
try to tempt death from the ladder top.
THE STORY.
The middle aged man climbed up, and
when he was at the top he could Just
reach the lower edge of the greenery
gallery wall paper. He looked at it
knife and cut off small section that
contained the principal elements of the
design. He put the scrap into his pocket,
descended, lugged the ladder back to its
proper position, put on his overcoat and
stepped once more before the boss.
81 am much obliged to you," he said.
''You see, when was first married we
went to housekeeping here. We had
two unfurnished, unfinished rooms up
two flights. We were desperately poor,
wife and 1; just enough to get on with,
you know. The other people in the fiat
were also poor. They couldn't afford to
paper their vacant rooms, and the land
lord wouldn't spent cent. So we pa
pered them ourselves. We got the paper
best we could find of the cheap grades
and wife made paste out of flour and
water. We fixed up brush ont of a
towel. Then with chairs and table for
stepladder we papered our-our apart
ments. l saw the same old paper as /
was riding by, and I thought piece of
! it would be a nice souvenir"
The boss heart was touched.
'tAnd the wife," he said hesitatingly,
! ''is-er"-
"Oh, nor exclaimed the middle aged
man, smll1nS cheerfully. ''She's alive
and hearty, thank you. We live in Troy
now, and we've got three strapping chill
dren. Circumstances are better now, if
you please. Whenever come to town /
make it point to look at our first home,
and today saw that it was only empty
air. The wall paper was there, though,
and l thought I'd get piece to take
home to my wife as a remem brance of
our first housekeeping. am very much
obliged to you"
The middle aged man walked up the
gangplank with quiet dignity, and the
boss, still disturbed by the episode. re-
marked.