The morning call., 1893-04-16

noon.' We'd several of us been setting on
the brief, but that morning we'd been
switched onto paper and Kirby was to,
finish the brief. But no, Kirby said his
friend was going out on the afternoon train
and he wouldn't stick another type that
morning he'd come back after dinner and
finish the take. At that the foreman got
pretty mad; said he knew what Kirby'd do;
he'd go off and get drunk or get run in or
something and wouldn't show up again for
week. Then Kirby he up and swore that
his word was as good as any mans. and
that dead or alive he'd be back after dinner
and finish that take, and he went.
when we went downtown to dinner
there WAS big crowd in front of the o K
saloon and everybOdy seemed excited, as If
something had happened, and sure enough
something had happened. for there'd been
general row and one man had had his arm
broken by beng piled up against the bar,
kirby's friend had bullet in his shoulder
and had been carted off to the hospital and
Kirby himself had his head smashed in
with peer bottle and was having a kind of
one-sided Interview with the Coroner. Dead
as mackere, Kirby was. 1t kind Of
spoiled our appetites for dinner. 1 guess
Kirby won't finish his take,' said Mat
thews.
well, l o'clock cana and of course we
were all at our cases but Kirby. The fore
man went around with face like a thun-
dercloud. but still things went pretty
smOOlH lOE dOUuL HalI an D0uT, WDen
jimmy Maxwell, who had the case next to
Kirby's, back in the last alley, came up and
said he was sick and would have TO 90 home.
The foreman just boiled at that, said that
WAS the way some men did, they would
carouse around all night and then soldier
around next day and cheat the office. That
was hard, for Jimmy was the straightest
man In the shop, but he never said word,
lie just got his hat and made for the stairs
as II his life depended on getting out of
that. He did look sick, too.
About B O'Clock Matthews was told TO 90
over to Jimmy's case and finish his story, so
over into the last alley he went. and in two
minutes back he came with his eyes as big
as saucers. May l be cut into bits he
said-you know how Matthews talks; may
l be cut into bits. lie said, if Kirby amt
back there a-fnishing his takeP
THE foreman stared as if he thought he
was crazy. You've been drinking again.
he said. Parsons. you go over there and
finish Jimmy story | kind of hated to go
over in that alley, and I've got pretty good
nerve, too, but knew the boys would laugh
a: ME if l didn't so l went aud picked up
the stick and just pulled away aud never
looked at hirby's case. put my eyes right
on the copy and stood turned little side
ways. but all the time 1t seemed as if must
look, and the more L made I'D my mind /
would not lCok the more something seemed
to pull me that way. Then | thought what
fool l was, and l turEed around and
looked right at the case. Sure enough there
stood old Kirby himself. bobbing away with
a funny little motion of his shoulders that
was all his own, following his right hand
around with his stick rs he gathered that
small plea in way that was surprising
even for ghost. To say that was scared
would be drawing 1t mild, but 1 drew N.Y.
self together and went OD with the story
Presently the ghost turned around and
crossed the alley and as / am a living man
il there WASN'T galley on the opposite case
nearly full. He dumped his stickful and
went back to his case and then saw thai
he was on the last page Of the brief Once
he sneaked around into the next alley and
came back with fstful OF quads, Just like
old Kirby, always swiping Sorts NV hair
was just standing on end and could feel a
cold sweat all over me. but was bound I'd
see 1t out, for | knew he was nearly through.
shook so l couldn't hardly hang on to a
type. but l stood there with my teeth
chattering and pretended to work, al
though l didn't get up more than
a stiekful of BREWER in as much
as an hour and the proof was so dirty that
had to set it over again. But the ghost
set just as steady as machine, though /
couldn't hear the click of the type nor a
sound OF any kind. All OF a sudden he set
down his stick, gathered up the copy and
Strengthened it out and hung il on the dead
hook, emptied his stick, and put his rule in
Ii, and set IT np on his case and turned
round and nodded at me IN sort of friendly
way. aud the next thing knew was alone
in the alley. Then l went and told the
foreman, and he swore the whole force was
crazy. but took him back there and showed
him that galley of type and it rather stag
gered him. The men came erowjing around
and looked at the galley it was the last
take of the brief all right enough, but
it made them feel creepy and they didn't
offer TO touch it. The boy wouldn't take
proof Of 1t for love or money, but the
foreman was mad by that time and he said
he would prove it and make it up too, If
the devil himself set IL up. and he did, and
the brief was off that afternoon on time,
But il you'll believe me, when we came
back TO the office next morning there was
the form. which had been left locked up on
the stone. unlocked, and the sponge lying
by 1t, and every line OF that type that the
ghost had set up was gone and KIrby's case
was full, just the way he left it the morning
before when he went off with his friend"
Slug stopped and lit another cigarette,
"0b, come off," said Johnny, ''you had a
jag on" johnny is an irreverent youth. AS
for myself, don't believe in ghosts; never
theless. who did finish Kirby's takea
SLUG IL.