The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-03-12

XII ($SgSsr Z
"sAY, JIM, IT'S PAY DAY TOMORROW"
Ever since Jim came to the place he
had made this his home, when he was
not up in the woods.
One day shortly after River Jim"
came to town, Mrs. Franklin's little
boy Willie, and several 6ther boys of
his age, were playing on the logs near
the mills when the little fellow slipped
and fell between them, and would have
been drowned had not Jim, who hap
pened to be working near, heard his
companions cries and ran to where he
had fallen in and succeeded in pulling
him out, more dead than alive.
The little fellow was soon around
again, however, and from that day
'River Jim" at least had one staunch
friend in Willie Franklin. In fact,
there seemed a strange friendship
growing up between the uncouth, un-
lettered man and the little boy, and
almost any fine day one could see
Willie running around on the logs try
ing to assist Jim in his work, and Jim
would say:
81 tell ye what, Billy, I'll make err
great log driver out o we yit, if yell
iist tend to yer knittin'."
Say, Jim, do get around over the
logs pretty handy, don't II"
River Jim" never seemed to have
any ambition higher than to be known
as the most fearless driver on the
river, and he really had an idea that he
might have a promising pupil in Willie
Franklin.
One day when Jim and the little fell
low were together on the drive Willie
said:
Say, Jim, it's pay day tomorrow,
amt it?"
Guess it's, Billy. What's ther mat
ter now? Do We want me ter git ye
some new fummerdiddleP"
"Oh. no, jim; l wasn't thinking of
that. But l heard ma and Jennie
talking this morning about it, and
Jennie said she wished you wouldn't
get drunk every pay day and spend all
your money, and ma said she didn' t
like to have me with you when you
acted So"
Now, say, Billy, did yer ma and
sister say thet?"
Honest they did, Jim, and ma she
said she had notion to speak to you
about it two or three times, but she
was afraid you'd think it was none of
her business, and-say, Jim, I wish
you wouldn't, either. cause it makes
me mad to hear the boys make fun of
you and call you nothing but an old
bum
Jim didn't answer the boy, and all
the rest of the day he was unusually
quiet.
The next day when he received his
wages and went quietly to the hotel
there was at least one person in town
who was not surprised, although that
person was only small boy.
When Jim reached the hotel he told
Willie that he wanted TO see his
mother. The boy went to find her,
wondering what Jim could want. He
soon returned accompanied by Mrs
Franklin.
Ibid you wish to see me, Jim?" in
quired the lady, as She came into the
office.
Jim, who was standing at the win
dow looking out over the river, turned
around, and awkwardly drawing some
thing from his pocket he held it to-
ward Mrs. Franklin, at the same time
stammering out:
Mrs. Franklin, w-would ye mind
tal1in this and keepin' it f-fer me?"
"Why, Jim," said the lady as she
saw it was a small roll of money, "do
you really want me to keep this for
you? WHAT'S the matter?"
"Well wye see," stammered Jim, "B-
Billy, the little cuss-h-he don't want
me tier go an git drunk every pay
day, and IL thought mebbe y.you'd
jist as lief k-keep iJ fer m-me, an then
l couldn't have anythin' to make a
f-fool of myself with. S-say, ye'll do
it, w-won't YEP"
With these words he thrust the
money into her hand and rushed
from the room, across the street and
was soon seen at work among his IA
vorite companions-the logs.
For the remainder of the season,
tNNi y pay 10Y bllh NOulu
go to Mrs. Franklin and after she had
deducted his board bill he would ask
her to keep the balance for him, so
that when the mills had finally Hnished
the seasons cut of logs Jim had quite
a snug little sum Of money in the hands
of his banker
One night short time after a MA
jority of the mills had closed for the
season, the inhabitants of the town
were startled by the shrill blowing of
half dozen whistles at different n. ills.
This note Of warning, especially at
two o'clock in the morning, sent a
thrill though everyone who heard it, as
they all knew it meant fire.
1t proved to be fire, and big one,
as the startled citizens who rushed