The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-31
Unnnnrecinted HonestS.

You can't always tell about honesty,
says the New ork sun. Sometimes you
see man making great show OF II, JUST
for the sake Of the show, not for the sake
OF the honesty The other day man
went to the postOfiice and asked Tor two
hve-cent stamps. He laid down his dlzne,
took his own stamps, put them IN pock-
ct case, and went away. Ihree or TOUR
days afterward he had occasion 10 use
one OF them. just as he was ABOUT 10
SUCK II or the letter ne had written ne
noticed that il was a siX-cent stamp IN
What do / care?'' ne said TO himself.
If five cents will send the letter SIX
will"
Then it occurred to him that the clerk
who had sold the stamps was out two
cents for the mistake
Il can't help it," the buyer argued; lit
wasn't my fault, and it's too far TO go 20
the postoffice just for two cents. y $
honest, of course, but it's only two cents.
How il would paralyze the clerk, though,
to have me come in and recti1y his little
mistake for him. Make him feel good Tor
Christmas, sure. Probably ne makes
such mistakes frequently, and III bet
mighty few men go back to make them
right. It's easy enough to kick when the
things against you, but this is different.
Somebody ought to kick about these
stamps anyway, hard and good, 10 some
body way, up. They're Just Ike me nV tes
made the mistake. BY Jove, III go over
and see him.
SO the two-stamp buyer put on his over
coat and hat and went out into the cold
and tramped over to the postofiice TO
make a show of his honesty. There was
a long line of men waiting their turns to
transact business at the stamp window.
The honest man waited patiently, and
used up several dollars worth of time
trying to give back two cents sthat didn't
belong to him. At last he got his place
at the window
i bought these two stamps here the
other day" he began, for hve-cent
Those in the waiting line began to crowd
up to hear the kick. and the face of the
stamp clerk took in AM expression just a
shade more tired than usual.
But they're siX-cent stamps went on
the honest man, land the clerk must he
out two cents. so l want to give them
back
The stamp clerk opened his eyes a bit
wider and stopped down to get a good
look at the honest man through the little
through the crowd. The honest man
swelled out with the consciousness OF his
own uprightneSs. The stamp clerk fooled
with his stamps and then said
you didn't buy EN- of me-
NO" answered the honest man. 1T
was another clerk l don't believe I'd
know him, though, if l should see him.
We'll" said the clerk very distinctly,
II can't take your two cents. The other
clerk has lost it, that's all. The govern
ment isn't out anything, and can't take
it,. I'll give you five-cent stamps if you
centers.
The honest man was the surprised one,
so surprised that for a moment he couldn't
think ofsanything TO say. Then he said:
''Why-why can't YOU take 'em. They're
not mine. i paid for hves and got SKIES
The clerk leaned forward and drawled
out so that half the men in line could
hear il:
How do know that you are not an in
spector laying a trap for me?'
The honest man thrust his hands in his
overcoat pockets and strobe away with
muttered We'll I'm damned and half
a dozen of the men began to whistle,
There Are Others.R