Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-11-21
A CHICAGO VIGNETTE.
The Clerks Excuse About thu Sick
Baby Is Investigated.

He had been in the habit Of uncere-
moniously absenting himself from the
Office for two or three days at a
stretch at varying intervals for about
year and at last the manager got
| mad and swore UP and down that he
wouldn't stand it any longer.
When he comes back this time"
said the manager, rumpling his bushy
gray hair with one hand while he
brought the other fist down on the
stenographers desk with whack
that made the typewriter keys rattle,
I'll dock him for every minute that
he has been gone. I'd discharge him
on the spot and be done with it, but
he's good worker when he's here and
| like him and will try to put UP with
this hit-and-miss way of coming
around for little while longer"
That was on Monday The clerk
didn't show up till Wednesday Mt
noon.
What's been the matter?" asked
the manager, pushing his glasses
down over the end of his nose and
cycling his employee severely.
The man took his place at the long
table and commenced slowly pulling
on his black office sleeves.
"The baby has been sick again." he
said, gravely, taking up his pen and
beginning to write.
The stenographer drummed list
lessly on her black and white keys
and the monotonous rat-tat-tat seemed
to echo over and over again the re-
frain: Il don't believe it; don't be-
lieve it, the other clerks nudged each
other and looked significantly towards
the manager; the manager turned red.
I'm sorry" he said, but please
bear in mind that the next time you
go off this way you will lose your
wages"
The mans face seemed to take on
another degree of paleness, but he an
swered calmly "All right" and went on
writing.
1t was six weeks before he stayed
away again and that time he was gone
two days. He came back on a pay
day. His face was sallow and hag-
gard and his eyes were sunken and
red.
Baby been sick again." asked the
manager, with a facetious little smile.
"Yes," was the quiet answer "She
was worse than usual this time and
the clerks grinned and made up their
minds that he had had a high old time
that trip.
Of pd tic
salary TO offset the pleasures of that
little spree, and the manager thought
that such summary punishment ought
to bring about a pretty effectual
reformation. But it didn't. At the
end of three weeks he stayed away
again and, although his salary was
again diminished at the same rate, he
took another self-appointed vacation
within a month. When he sent note
around the fourth time after the dock
ing process commenced and accounted
for his absence by the same old plea
that the baby was sick the manager
made up his mind that he would in
vestlgate things.
I'm going over to his house and
straighten this matter out" he said to
the stenographer between sentences OF
the letter he was debating. THAT
child isn't sick any more than L am,
and not half as much so, and I'll catch
him face to in his trickery. If | go
over there and find him drunk, as L
suppose I will he pretty sure to do, I'll
discharge him SO quick he won't know
what his name is"
The stenographer said she thought
that was the only way to fix him and
right away after lunch he started for
! the south side to hunt up his delin-
quent employee. The man lived in the
third fiat, and by the time the man
ager had puffed and painted himself up
the two long flights Of stairs he was
enraged with the world in general and
his clerk in particular for putting him
to so much trouble.
! The clerk himself opened the door
and let the manager in. His coat was
oft and his eyes were swollen and his
hair was pushed back in reckless coll
fusion. The manager tapped his cane
emphatically on the hardwood floor as
a prelude to the coming lecture and
said with testiness that was made
still more bitter by suspicion:
well, sir, l did happen to find you
at home, didn't I? HoW's that baby?"
J The man held out his hand with g
! gesture of entreaty.
"Hushr' he said, with a quiet dig
! nifty made strong by grief. She's
j dead. She died just an hour ago. -
| Chicago News.