The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1892-06-25

L nm WV run the farmT
HH asked the old
- man.
' II want a
EZE chance to rise in
the rid, to
show what kind of stuff I'm made Of"
answered the youth.
II reckon you're made of the same
sort OF clay as yer mother and me, but
yer only about half baked yet, +" said the
old man, with grin. "Thls comes of a
little learnip'. You'd better tarry at
Jericho until yer beard is grown, an
you've cut yer wisdom teeth, son."
But the young man persisted. He ex-
planned to his father that he wanted to
see the world, and make his mark in It.
He might have to begin low, but he
was bound to rise. and be somebody,
and he knew enough to keep clear of
bunco-steerers and all such gentry. So
his father gave him his blessing, and
twenty-five dollars in gold, and let him
go, with pardonable desire to crafty
his ambition and SEQ him rise in the
world.
In due time letter came from the
young man. He had found employment
as a clerk in a jewelry store. 1t was
only stepping stone, he said to the
fortune he intended to make, but he
should keep his eyes open and lose no
good chance.
The next letter was from the chief of
police in the city where the young man
was employed. 1t merely announced
the fact that the youth was in iail
and wanted his father to come and bail
him out. The CONSERVATION which this
missive introduced into the farm house
hold can only be imagined. They all
Loyalty clung to the belief that their
Charles Augustus was not a criminal in
intent, but the fact of his being in Jail
was great blow to their pride.
LET us return" as the novelists say,
to Charles Augustus.
That enterprising young man had
won golden opinions from his employers
by his steady conduct, his correct bust
ness principles, and his devotion to
their interests. One day, at time
when he was the only clerk in the store,
stranger entered and asked to be
shown some diamond earrings. He
produced business card, and the lew
eler, who personally attended to him,
recognized the name as that of man
recently established in business there.
but who was still stranger to him.
The gentleman selected the earrings
and asked that they be sent to his hotel
for his wife to examine before purchas-
ing them. Then he left the store.
Now this business was unbusiness-
like and the jeweler cautioned young
Stillweil not to leave the diamonds un-
less they were paid for, rs the buyer
had said they would be If they suited.
30 Charles Augustus went up to the
hotel with two ideas fixed in his mind.
He was to return, like the Spartan
hero, with his shield. or upon it-in
other words, he was to bring back
either the diamonds or their equivalent
in cash.
Know thyself," the motto of the
wise men of Greece, was an unknown
quantity in the arithmetic of our
Charles Augustus. He had read enough
dime literature in his salad days, which
were not yet over, to fill his soul with
an unequal appreciation of things. For
instance, quite unknown to his parents,
he yearned to be detective. Cowboys
and raiders were not much to his liking;
they lacked the element of respecta-
bility. But to be detective, a sleuth-
hound OF the law, to rise to the high
position of inspector-in-chief of police.
to be the terror of small bows and evil
doers, was to reach the ultimatum of
his ambition. When his EMPLOYER
his new clerk at the reading
room of the Y. M. G. A. or sound asleep
in his boarding house bed Charles
Augustus was hanging around the
police station, watching the criminals
brought in, and admiring the officers
On duty who assigned each one to a cell
with wave of his baton. He thought
ne was getting a deep insight into
human nature, and that he could tell a |
criminal from an honest man at the
hrst glance. That was the interesting
state Of his mind when he reached the
hotel with the valuable package in his
pocket, the jewels in satin-lined case.
'eady to be temptingly displayed before
'he eyes of the fortunate woman for
whom they were to be purchased.
In answer to his questions the boy
Who opened the door said he would see |
I Mrs. - was in, and Charles Angus
us sent up the card of his employer
md waited in the parlor for the lady to |
zee him. When the boy returned he was |
'equested to attend to the lady in her
,wn room.
Hal he said to himself, sits the
I'D gag"
The lady admired the jewels and told
Ter husband, who was present, that
hey suited her exactly. Charles
Augustus had literally frozen to them;
le stood close 70 the lady while she
ptaH thar sxS,