The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-11-23

located the interruption and ignored it;
II had intended speaking to him about
it today
always struck me as being a darn
FOOL" said the office boy, who was chew
ing his tobacco, as he sunk the coal scut-
tie with single effort.
"There is another thing" said the pro-
prietor with mere look at the boy; shat
small order to Jones of Blankville had
better be collected for in advance or
shipped c. o. d. He is in US now"
That's the best way" said the Office
boy as he took fresh chew, Always be
on the safe side.'
This last explosion called for repr;-
maud and the manager gave it.
''Well, 1 wouldn't get hutfy about it,"
said the boy as he missed the scuttle
once more.
Bright and early the next morning the
placed his dinner basket beneath it.
Soon the manager came in.
81 don't want you up here anymore"
said he, by way of breaking it gently;
Ego down stairs"
The boy went down to the shipping
clerk. The shipping clerk didn't want
him. Neither did the head bookkeeper.
Neither did the head packer. Neither
did anybody else, and it slowly struck
the boy that perhaps he was fred.
Upstairs he went three steps at time.
'He threw his overcoat over his arm and
took his basket in his hand. At the door
he paused
"Job didn't last very burned long, did
itf" he yelled at the manager, and was
gone, nose, wrinkle and all
Does anybody want a good. laxative
Office boy, guaranteed to be capable of
running any sort of business inside of
twSdays, if rightly treated?
VThis is about a man who put up
stove.
1t is unnecessary, perhaps, to go fur
Their with it. You know in advance just
how he swore and tore, and spoiled the
carpet, and the pipe didn't lit and he
skinned his kuuckles aud cut his finger
and spilled SCOT down the back of his
neck and finally went up town and got
six men to finish the job.
johnson" said Johnson's wife at din
ner yesterday: 81 want you to come
home early this afternoon. l want that
sitting room stove up and going by Sun
day."
"All right, my dear" said Johnson, "I'll
be home at 4.
So that afternoon Johnson's wife sent
the children over to visit on the other
side of town and stuffed rags in all the
cracks to deaden sound. After a fervenL
prayer that all the neighbors would be
out of town for few hours that after
noon, she was ready for Johnson.
He arrived promptly.
THE stove is out in the woodshed,"
said his wife.
The stove was not very large and after
Johnson had dressed himself for the &C.
casion with the help of Mrs. johnson
who had faynn fO hav0 His old
clothes and gloves handy, he got the
stove to the back porch without much
difficulty.
''It must be BACKED" said Mrs. john
son as she mixed the backing. 1t black
ed TO beautiful finish with very little
rubbing and johnson whistled at his
work.
Then he tackled down the oil cloth mat
and the zinc ard kept on whistling.
He took the stove in carefully and
put it in the right place.
There was plenty of the old stove pipe,
and while he cleaned it in the alley with
stick, Mrs. johnson sat on the back
porch and listened to him whistle.
the frat joint went on all right, and
the damper stayed in place. The next
joint fitted so we'll that johnson almost
stopped whistling in sheer admiration for
it and so did the next one. The elbow
fitted admirably and the collar and last
joint went on like top. The seam was
on the right side all the way up.
There was not even speck of soot on
the papers Mrs johnson had spread on
the carpet.
In ten minutes more Johnson had a
lovely fire in the stove and was in his
business suit again spick and span read
ing the paper while his wife got supper.
1t was just here that there was a savage
nudge in Johnson's left ribs and he heard
his wife tell him to wake up aud hustle
out now for it had been daylight for half
an hour.
1You are now going to read about
young man who got gay. Be it said in
advance as a means of sQuaring him,
however, that he didn't do it just to be
doing but because he thought he was
saying the right thing in the premises.
He was down town yesterday afternoon
and met two young ladies of his acquaint-
ance.
They were accompanied by their siste r,
pretty, red checked little girl in dresses
Just below her shoe tops. Any one
would have fallen in love with her on
tho spot if she had been old enough, he
thought.
After the usual small talk there came
the usual embarrassing pause aud the
young man gazsd admiringIy at the little
sister.
She blushed. 1t was the right thing to
do. She looked better that way.
This is right pretty little sister you
have" said the young man who got
gay.
The young thing was pleased. He
could see that she was.
81 only wish she were a year or two
vounper" he continued
Why" asked one Of the older girls.
81 should like to kiss her then" said
the young man; ''she's most too old to be
kissed now"
"Oh, no. she isn't" said one of the
girls. ISIS is all right; she's only nine
teen"
Why is it some people will try to apol-