Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-12-31
A BIT OF WALL PAPER.
sENTiMENTAL "REMINISCENCES OF AN
OLD GENTLEMAN.

he Was fram Trey, hut lie started Life
la the Metropolis Remembrance Of
Ills Eariy Married Lifr struggling for
a M~m~nte The Hard hearted Rasa
\ middle aged man who was gazing
shsently out Of n window of an elevated
tar thn other LAY started suddenly and
Framed his neck To- look at "A big hole in
The wall of brick aud brown stone front
~ which the train was passing. Two
sr 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 - of wall paper in many
designs upon the sides of the adjoining
building. Tine middle aged man got out
at the neyt station and walked back to
the hole. He stood ON the sidewalk a
moment. looking first upinto the air and
then at the half dozen workmen who
We're 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 Ia the bottom of the hole and
approached the boss Of the gang
Been tearing down these houses,
zee, remarked the middle aged man by
way ~ introduction.
The boss stared
I'VE amt been putin up any" he re-
sponded.
SEEKING A SOUVENIR
"That's what | meant. said the mid
die aged man impertnrbably. Would
you mind lending me ladder for q
minute or two
What in thunder lo you want to do
with III" exclaimed the boss.
81 want to climb up To that piece Of
paper. responded the middle aged man,
pointing to a section Of the wall that
was covered with grcrnery yallery de.
sign. "Iou see. he continued. Il used
toliVc there
There was a suspicion Of moisture in
the middle aged man : eyes and a faint
smile on his lips rs he said this. aud he
looked MP nj the soilei patch of paper as
a traveller might view the receding lights
Of his native town The boss was puz.
Elel aud suspicious but after "a moment
of silence while hc pretended to be
watching his men he said.
"Ion can take that one in the corner
If you'll move IL yourself and put it back
again.
The middle aged man bowed without
a word, took off his ovcrroat and laid it
gently upon pile of bricks, laid down
his cane, and procectied al the expense
of no little cx"rtioii, 10 place the ladder.
As he began te climb up the bols ran
over and said ihreateningly:
''Ss.e here. now; no sheuanigin, You'll
only get broken bone or two il 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 "a few minutes
Nevertheless tlie bo-- 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. aud
when he was NJ the top he could Just
reach the lower edge of the greenery
yallery wall paper He looked at it
earnestly. and then drew out a pocket
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
II am much obliged to Won. he said
You see. when was first married we
went TO housekeeping here. We had
two unfurnished, unfinished rooms up
two flights. We We're desperately poor,
wife and |: just enough to get on with
you know. The other people in the fat
were also poor. They couldn't afford 10
paper their vacant rooms. and the land
lord wouldn't spent cent. So we pa
per"d them ourselves. We got the paper |
best we could find of the cheap grades |
and wife made a paste out of -four and /
water. We liked up "A brush OUT Of q /
towel. Then with chairs and a table for 1
a stepladder we papere1 our--our apart /
ments. | saw the same old paper as I
was riding by, and thought piece Of
1t would he = nice souvenir
The boss heart was touched /
And the wife, he said hesitatingly,
''is--er'-
man. smiling cheerfully. sShe's alive
and hearty, thank you. We live in Troy
now, and we've got three strapping chill
dren. Circumstances are better now, IL
you please. Whenever | come to town
make il point to look at our first home,
and today | saw that il was only empty
air. The wall paper was there, though,
and thou hit Id get piece to take
home to my wife as a remembrance Of
our first housekeeping. | am very much
obliged TO you."
The middle aged man walked up the
with quiet dignity, and the
boss, still disturbed by the episode. re-
marked:
What queer chap it is, by thun-
der.'-New York sun.
A Man's Opinion.
Ii was wise man who said on the