Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-11-15
ADVENTURE ENDED.


one rainy Sunday afternoon smoking
and telling yarns:
Everybody had told some wonder
ful story Of his exploits, except the
athletic Jack Wilmer, who sat, big
and calm and imperturbable, putting
away at his corncob pipe.
"Look here, Wilmer" said Greer,
this won't do. Amy fellow that's
led the tough life thai you have must
have lots Of things to tell Come
brace up and give us story: We
want to be amused"
"Never had but one extraordinary
adventure" said Wilmer, ''and that
was chiefly remarkable for the way it
ended. You won't like it."
"Come, give 1t to US"
"Take a drink Jack, and begin"
Wilmer took his pipe from his
mouth aud stretched out his frame
IN his chair
"Well, you see," he said, cit was
when l fist came to New YORK. l
was having a pretty hard time of it,
without money, friends or any educa-
tiOn to speak Of like you follows that
have been TO college. There wasn't
much that / didn't try my hand at
from porter in hotel to clerk in 4
big clothing house on Sixth Avenue;
Iut l gave that up pretty soon
couldn't stand Hitting clothes on lit
lie dudes that l could have carried
with one hand. Good thing ! got out
Of il. too, because If it had lasted
much longer l should have knocked
some of them down.
"But while l was clerk l had a
room in a cheap lodging house on the
east side near Third Avenue-EighU
Street | think it was. 1t was on
the first floor, the back room, as
StufTy AMI hot Il little hole as you
ever saw and ] was there all summer.
1t had one big window IN the back
and there l used to spend most of my
time when l was in the house, trying
10 get breath OF fresh air and look
ing at the dingy courtyard that be-
longed also TO the house back OF US
on Seventh Street 1t was like a
we'll, paved with stones, the children
used TO play in it and the women
hung out their clothes
Cue awrully hot day in July about
; O'Clock In the afternoon l was sit
Ting there in my shirt sleeves, drowsy
and sleepy with the heat. not hav-
ing anything else TO do, had a sheet
" paper before me on which | idly
scr.DU!eI over and over again my
mana, John Wilmer in my own
peculiar sCrawl-that looks like the
trail Of 4 GY that has just crawled
out Of an inkstand.
| was very d owsy and mad as hops
with a yellow haired woman at a
window who was calling out as she
lifted the lid Of box that had been
hung out Of the window to serve as a
refrigerator:
Maggie, do you want me TO bring
the potatoes, too? Maggie, Maggie,
Why don't you answer"
On the fire escape Of another house
two children were having d fight
Ny eyes closed for a moment when
uddenly in the quiet came a gust of
@ind. l looked upin time to see the
,)aper before me blown out of the
window across the courtyard to the
window in the basement where man
was sitting. The man picked up the
er3l minutes and then taking d p.cce
Of paper from a book seemed to COM
pare the two, looking from one to the
other with satisfaction. He then
ut them both back in the book and
1t down again, looking over at me
rom time to time. lie was a big
sd-haIred and rei-bearded fellow
IhOm l had often seen before at that
window but l was very curious to
know what was his interest in my
handwriting.
"Nell, 4 few evenings after that I
was taking M dinner at cheap eat
ing house on the Bowery. 1t was as
hot as blazes; the doors and windows
we're all open. the flies coming in and
sticking in the butter and to the pink
and blue tissue paper hangings on the
walls. don't know what they have
those things for, unless it is TO keep
he flies from feeling homeless But
here was something that made me
eel uncomfortable aside from this
md didn't know what it was until
I turned around aud saw, sitting at
another table, the same red headed
man who had been at the window
and who hai been so much interested
n my writing. He was staring at
me enough to bore two gimlet holes
through my back and that is what
made me so uncomfortable. thought
maybe he was a detective who was
after me for something tho | didn't
know what had done, so 1 got up
and went out. The sun was down
and the gas was lighted. People and
children were swarming outside Just
like the flies. l knew the man was
following me and after one block
simply turned around and waited for
him to come up.
look here" l said, what do you
want with me-"
lie was all out Of breath with the
chase after me.
You are pretty fellow" he said,
running away so fast, when I've go.
4 big piece OF business to offer you
Is your name John Winner"
Yea"
''Do you want to make $50 in half
an hour, John Winner"
l had exactly 81 in my pocketbook
and my weeks rent due.
"Yes, l do, l said, "but what's
up? What have l got to do?"
Never mind about that here. Just |
come with me"
We went on several squares, then |
irDed into Baxter street. The man
seemed 4 mum sort Of a fellow and
didn't say anything. From Baxter
street we made several turns to the
right to street totally unfamiliar to |
Inc. There didn't seem to be any
hurry and as we walked along l
smoked cigar waich my mysterious
employer handed me.
At a little bakers shop we turned |
OF into narrow alley dimly |
Lirhted. ! sunnnse Il was srunrm