River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-07-21

the dull red coppers on Billy's desk.
Old Gus was right when he said
one day that he believed Corky was
as straight as a shoestring when it
came to downright honesty" So he
did not look at the money with covetous
eyes nor with single wrong thought
in his heart.
Billy was late in getting to work on
the payroll one Monday. Several per-
sons had been in to see him. and it was
noon before he sat Gown to his work,
with the money and envelopes before
him. All the other employees of the
business office but Cofky had gone out
to dinner. Billy had filed one or two
Of the envelopes when a clerk from a
very large dry goods store just around
the next corner came into the office and
said:
Say. Billy, Mr.. Raynor wants to
see some one right away about running
a full-page advertisement in to-mor-
rows paper. He says he'd like to see
you about il.
Now a full-page advertisement did
not come to the Republican every day,
and the opportunity of getting one was
not TO be neglected. therefore Billy said
at once:
'All right, Holmes; tell Mr.. Raynor
that I'll come right around and give him
figures on it," Then he said 10 Corky:
just keep your eye on this money
while I'm gone, will you, Corky? I'll
be back in a few minutes"
Very well, sir. " replied Corky, with
L.. -. Il.
anything he was asked to do.
Billy's desk was in a corner of the
room farthest from the counter. and
there was no railing on this counter, so
the desk was in full view from any part
of the Office.
Billy had been gone about five min
utes when a man came into the office
and asked for copy of the morning
paper. Corly handed him a paper, but
the man did not go out after he had paid
for it. Corly did not notice it, but there
came a sudden CLEAN into the mans
eyes. and his lips parted as he glanced
toward the desk on which the payroll
money was lying. He drummed on the
counter with his fingers for a moment,
then he glanced backward over his
shoulder toward the street, on which
there were few passers-by at that hour.
Suddenly he asked:
Are any of the editors imp"
mo, sir" replied Corky; they do
not come around until about three
o'clock"
We'll. has this Office a job-printing
department."
Yes. sir"
Us the foreman in?"
II think ne is, sir"
Would you be kind enough to tell
him that / would like to speak to him
about big lot of printing!"
The foreman of the job-printing de-
partment was called out to the business
counter almost every day to give esti-
mates on orders for work, and there
was nothing in the mans request to
arouse the least suspicion on Corky's
part. He was an absolutely honest
boy, and wholly unsuspicious of others.
The Job department was on the same
floor as the business Office, but was
separated from il by a small mailing
room and a narrow hall, with door
opening into long alley.
Corkv was in this hall. with his hand
on the knob of the jobrOOm door, when
he suddenly seemed TO hear Billy say
ing: Keep your eye on that money,
Corly," and Corlxy's hand dropped sud
denly from the job-room doorknob. He
turned quickly. and ran through the
mailing-room and into the business
Office, Just in time to see the
80 thsa
ter and disappear quickly out of
the open door. A single glance re-
vealed the fact that the money was
gone, and over the counter went COrky,
and down the steps he ran into the al
lev that divided the block into two
parts, and by which unfrequented path
the thief was trying to make good his
escape After him ran Corky, bare
headed, paIlid of face, and with wildly
beating heart. He made no cutlery as
he ran. but sped on, with clinched fists
and tightly compressed lips.
The man was but few yards ahead
of Corky at the start; he was short and
stoutly built, and not accustomed to
running. while Corky was slender, and
the best runner in the boys baseball
club to which he belonged, and he was
running now as he had never run in
the widest enthusiasm of the most ex-
citing ball game he had ever played in
his young life. He had more at stake
than the glory and honor of all the ball
clubs in the world. There seemed to
De ringing in his ears the business man.
ayers words: Keep your eye on that
money, COrlxy," and he had not kept
his eye on it. He felt that he had
failed to show himself worthy of the
trust imposed in him, and that the only
way to prove himself worthy was by
overtaking that man and recovering
the money. The man. on the other
hand. knew what awaited him in the
event of his capture, and the clinking
of the gold and silver in the pockets of
the light overcoat he wore urged him
on.
He turned once and shook his fist
threateuingly at Corl<y, and cried ont:
.'I'll kill YOU. boy, if you don't go
back-' But Corlxy would not have fall
tered for an instant in his pursuit of
the man. even though he had known
that death awaited him.
The man ran out of the alley and into
the crowded street with Corky but a
few feet behind him. When Corkv ran
out of the alley, the man had disap-
peared. and Corky was sure that he had
gone into the large store of Raynor &
Co, which covered half of the block on
that side of the street Into the store
darted COrlxy, just in time to see the
man he was pursuing disappear down
one of the side aisles of the store.
THAT man." gasped out Corly, as he
ran down the center aisle of the store
with all the clerks staring at him
that man-with he-light-overcoat!
Stop him, He is a thief, Stop him."
Running through side aisle at his
right, Corky found himself face to face
with the thief. who was hurrying
toward an open door. Corhy rushed
upon him and seized him by the skirt of
his coat, whereupon the man affected
great surprise and indignation.