Cherokee scout. [volume] (Murphy, N.C.) 188?-1961, 1891-11-10
WHAT "REDDY" DID.
BY KATHARINE HARTMAN:


By KATHARINE HARTMAN.
When Charlie Havens left the fiftl
grade of School No. 2 he had completed
his education, for that spring be wen
into the mechanical department of I
daily newspaper to wash rollers, and bt
|. the general knockabout Of a half:dozer
or SO superiors. The pfessmen didn't
like him; they threw paste and waste al
him, and made life a burden generally
for the red-headed, freckled-face young.
ster whom they at once dubbed "Red.
dy." Mr.. Williamson, the foreman,
could see no earthly good in the boy,
and the rest of the men followed suit, SO
Charley had a pretty hard time of it all
around. There was no use going t.
Williamson with his griefs, he would get
no sympathy from him, and as for the
people in the counting loom, they be.
longed to another world altogether than
the one bounded by the windowless
walls of the press room.
Twice Charlie had found 1t necessary
to pound a couple of the newsboys who
had been more than ordinarily imports
nent, and as many times the policemen,
who was kept in the alley to preserve
order among the young Arabs, had ar
rested him, just out of pure malice, it
seemed to Charlie. On these occasions
the business manager had been notified
that one of his ''men' was in durance
vile, and as many times the business
manager had paid his fine, though he
had never seen the boy.
The business manager did not come
into the press-room very often, and when
he did, of course the foreman did the
honors. He would come over to see
how that last car load of paper was run
ming, if the ink that new firm had sent
was spreading well, or if it filled in, and
then, according to what the pressman's
convictions or prejudices were, he went
back to his Office and dictated letters to
the parties that they might send another
car along, or that tho ink last received
was all dirt and grit and could not be
used, and would be held here in storage
until further orders.
One day, however, the business mana
ger stumbled up against Charlie. The
business manager was out of humor,
which was unfortunate for the boy, for
as he first met him, so would the business
manager treat him to the end of the
chapter.
"Well, what are you doing here2"
81 belong here
"What do you dO?"
"EverJ thing"
Now if the business manager had not
been out of temper he would have smiled
at the thought o. that almost dwatted
object doing everything, but as it was
he frowned.
"Whats your nameS"
'tCharlie Havens."
care you the boy that's always fight
ing"
81 fight when have to-"
swell, don't let me hear any more Of
it. The next time I hear about your
fighting I'll discharge you;" and the
business manager looked very much in
earnest.
Charles face was as red as the crop Of
hair above it, and he only said: "Yes,
sir" and moved away to some of his
duties. He was decidedly awed by this
big man, with his hands in his pockets,
his immaculate white vest with the slen-
der gold chain of his watch across the
front, he was awed and at the same time
he felt rebellious, and as if he was very
much put upon. So he was not to be
allowed to defend himself at all, he must
just take the kicks and cuffs; but never
mind, when he grew up and became a
business manager. he would show them
how to treat boys who worked hard and
tried to do the very best they could.
Things went along pretty well with
Charlie for time, until one night as he
was going out of the press room into
the dark alley, one of the boys, boot
black, skulked around the corner, gave
his box half a dozen swift swings, and
hit Charlie terrible blow ON the back of
his heatL He felt a peculiar singing
shock, then all was dark, and when he
came TO himself he was lying on the
sofa in the proprietor private Office, and
the doctor from the drug store across the
street was holding something to his nose
that smelled like the stuff his mother put
in her wash water. Then he felt that
his head was numb, and he remembered
what had happened.
The doctor was saying "He'll be all
right now: It isn't anything serious.
just an ugly cut. And in few min
utes Charlie could sit up and tell how 1t
happened. ..~.:.-
The proprietor was there. "I'll have
that boy hunted up aud jailed" he
said: and that healed Charles wound
very fast.
Charlie rode home that night in the
proprietor's own coupe, with the colored
coachman sitting up in front, with q
high hat, and coat which touched the
floor when he walked. Charlie was Or
dered to lay off work for a day or two,
but he was in his place in the press:
room the next morning at work just the
same as ever.
Everything went well untiton Sunday
morning, when Mr.. Williamson, tired
and sleepy from being up all night, threw
himself down on the bench in the corner
of the mailing-room, q bundle of papers
under his head, and went to sleep.
While he was sleeping some one poured
q funnelful of press ink down his neck,
over the white shirt that he was to wear
to early church that morning, spelling
beyond all hope nearly his entire suit Of
clothes.
On Monday morning boy from tho
counting-room came over to- the press
room with the MESSAGE, "Ths business
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