Omaha daily bee., 1895-11-24

/ formal; but that's nothing.
| with all his little cranks, he knows his
| business better than any man in the depart
| ment; and then he's a gentleman, dye see:
| could not say a rude word or do mean
| thing to save his life-not made that way, ir
| fact.
Let me just give you one instance-show
you his sort. Everyone knew that he ought
| to have been chief clerk, and that Rodway's
| appointment was sheer influence. The staff
was mad, and some one said Roadway need
not expect to have a particularly good time
| perkins overheard him, and Clipped in al
once. Mr.. Rodway'-you know his dry man.
ner, waggng his eyeglass all the time-'is
our superior officer, and we are bound to
| render him every assistance in our power
or and then he splendid, resign our
| commissions. Roadway, they say, has re
tired, but the worst of it is that as Perkins
has been once passed over he ill not sue
| ceed.
Perhaps it won't matter, poor chap, ]
| say" said Lighthead, hurriedly, turning his
back and examining pipe on the mantle
piece, do you think he is going to- mean
has he a chance?"
"Just chance, believe. Have you beer
long with him?'
| That's not tits what he's done for a
| for fellows. Strangers don't know Perkins.
You might talk to him for a year, and never
hear anything but shop. Then one day you
| get into hole, and you would find out an
! other Perkins.
STAND by you?" and he wheeled round.
| Rather, and no palaver either; with money
| and with time and with-other things that do
fellow more good than the whole concern,
| and no airs. There's more than one man in
our office has cause to-bless Schedule Per-
kins.
Let me tell you how he got-one chap
out of the biggest scrape HE'LL ever fall into.
Do you mind me smoking?" And then he
made himself busy with matches and a p!pe
that was ever going out for the rest of the
story
"Well, you see, this man, clerk in our
office. had not been long up from the coun-
try, and he was young. Wasn't quite bad,
but he couldn't hold his own with older fel-
lows.
"He got among a set that had suppers
their rooms. and gambled bit, and he lost
and borrowed, and-in fact, was stone broke.
Its not very pleasant for a fellow to sit
In his room a week before Christmas and
know that he may be cashiered before the
holidays, and ill through his own fault.
"If 1t were only himself, why, he might
take his licking and go to the colonies but
1t was hard-on his mother-its always
going out--this pipe-when ne was her only
son, and she rather-beieved in him.
Didn't sleep much that night-told me
himself afterward-and he concluded that
the best way out was to buy opium in the
city next day, and take it-pretty stf dose,
you know-neXt night.
"COwardy rather, Of course. but 1t might
be easier for the mater down in Devon
his mothsr mean-did say he was Devon?
same county as myself-affar would be
hushed up. and she would have-his mem
ory clean.
LAS 1t happened though. he didn't buy
any opium next day-didn't get the chance:
for Perkins came round to his desk and
asked this young chap to have a bit OF din
ner.
"He had the iollest little dinner ready you
ever saw. and he insisted on the fellow
smoking, though Perkins hates the very
smell of 'baccy, and-well, ne got the whole
trouble out OF him, except the opium.
"Dye think he lectured and scoded? Not
a bit-that's not Perkins-he left the fool
to do his own lecturing, aud he did 1t stiff
II tell You what he said Your health
must have been much tried by this anxiety
SO you must go down and spend Christmas
with your mother, and / would venture to
suggest that you take her suitable gift.
With regard to your debt you will al
low me- and Perkins spoke as II he had been
explaining schedule, to take II over, on
two conditions-that you repay me by in
stalments every quarter. and dine with me
every Saturday evening for six months
See what he was after? Wanted to
keep-the fellow straight, and cheer him up;
and you've no idea how Perkins came out
those Saturdays-capital stories as ever you
heard-and he declared that 1t was a pleasure
to him.
81 am rather lonely he used to say. and