The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-04-28
A MODERN ELIJAH.

inferior race There was nothing IN his
appearance to suggest the hero, and IL
you had told him that be was hero he
would scarcely have known what you
meant. An unschooled, illiterate. ugly,
bullet headed negro. he had neverthe-
less been baptized by the same spirit
which had caused the face Of St, Stephen
10 shine as the face Of an angel.
One winter day-almost a year before
the event which gave him chance to
show the stuff that was in him-he
came into the hotel looking for a job,
The Office was brilliantly lighted and
hlled with u crowd Of handsomely
dressed men. There were politicians,
club men, men ahout town, reporters,
many members Of the sporting frater-
nifty, the usual loungers and hangers
on, an occasional hayseed--all forming
very startling background for the
rags and filth Of the poor, shivering,
half starved little darkey, 1t was no
easy matter for him to steer his course
to the desk, and when he got there the
Eplendor Of Che man behind 1t dazed him
80 that his voice almost failed him. He
had, however, even at his early age,
reached the point where he had to work
or starve, So his necessities mnde him
eloquent. His eloquence prevailed. BE
was on the next day placed on the pay
roll Of the great hotel
As q bell boy he was not success
fear | must confess that he was lazy.
People liked him-l do not know why
and for some reason or other he was d
favorite with his employers. II he had
not been they would have dismissed him
before his first week was out. Instead
OF doing that, they concluded to find
more congenial work for him, so they
put him in charge Of one Of the eleva-
tors.
Among the passengers who used to
ride up and down with the boy was d
little five-year-old girl, the daughter Of
o family living in the hotel She was as
perfect type of her race as he was OF
his. With her fair. white skin, golden
hair, deep blue eyes and pretty womanly
ways, the child was general favorite
Every one knew her; every one lovet
her.
Between her and the boy great
friendship had sprung up. He was de
votion itself, and his attentions to tn,
little Caucasian were 80 grotesquel,
chivalrous as to be almost pathetic Sh,
accepted them all with dignity ant
grace that were charming. Her family
lived on the top floor OF the house. AMI
as she always rode in his elevator whei
she could manage to do so, the boy ant
girl saw much OF each other. Once sh,
was i'll The medicine that helped he
most was . wretehed little bouquet sen
her by her dusky friend.
1t was winter again. The evening o
which write was very cold and clear
The stars were diamondlike in thei
brilliancy Everything was frozen up
the wheels creaked on the snow.
The hotel was crowded with guests
Not more than two or three of the hun
dreds Of rooms were unoccupied. A be
lated traveller, who had been on weatb
or bound train, came in at O'Clock
tired and cold He ordered a fire in hi
room and then went to the bar for
drink. A few minutes later he steppe
into the boys elevator and was carrie,
10 the top floor,
The great house was quiet Most a
the lights in the Office had been extip
guished, Two night owls were talkin
in low tones ON one Of the settees whic
lined the walls Of the lobby. The beI
bows were most Of them asleep, Tn
clerk was browsing.
Two o,clockl The night owls got n
and walked ont into the cold air.