Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-12-10
"A half . dol1ari What do you want
I, hale a IoI1or for -,

"A half . dollarl What do you want
half a dollar forf"
"For deliverin' that message; I'm
special messenger" said Swipes,
Strengthening up TO his full height.
"a half dollar for walkin' from the
deepo with message, when l didn't
give you that much for a months work!
l won't pay i'll" and the deacon shook
his fist at Swipes in menacing man
! ner.
"All right, OF man; the teller that
sent it will have to pay it, them re-
torted Swipes, as he started off.
The deacon turned his team; gave his
trousers hitch; took off his shoe and
knocked the dirt out of it by striking
it against the pillow beam; replaced it;
took chew of tobacco; slapped the old
sorrel mare on the rump with the lines,
and resumed blowing corn.
He had not gone over half way across
the 40-acre field ere he regretted that
he had not paid for the delivery of the
message. If his nephew were compelled
to pay for it, he would be notified that
the deacon had refused payment, which
would be the means of knocking the
deacon out of the 500 which he SO much
| coveted.
By the time he had returned to the
side of the field where Swipes had
given him the message he had concluded
to hail the boy and pay him the so cents,
if he could not jew him down to 25.
Swipes was nearly mile away, and the
80 80 n
though he called Justify. He finally I'M
hitched his team, and, mounting the old
sorrel mare, started her toward town at
her best gait. When he had overtaken
Swipes the deacon said:
"Ill give you rs cents for fetchin'
out that air message, an not another
cent"
II amt carryin' messages three miles
for IS CENTS" answered Swipes, in a
sarcastic tone. "An' since you're so
anxious to settle, it'll take jist dollar
an half to square it," he added.
The agent had told Swipes that the
| telegraph company would allow mes
senger to collect so cents per mile sin
some cases"
The deacon foamed and ragged, threat
ening a whipping and arrest, but to no
avail. Swipes stuck to his price.
After making the boy promise that
nothing would be said to his nephew
about refusing payment for the deliv-
cry Of the message, the deacon grudg-
| ingly paid the $3.50,
When Swipes related the circumstance
| 20 he hot N
little fellow was Immediately engaged
rs messenger boy, which position was
vacant at the time. The salary was
small, though more than enough to pay
his board, and by sleeping in the office
he was able to economic closely
enough to clothe himself fairly well.
He also had the privilege of learning
telegraphy and station work.
| Thus it was that, at the end of ten
years, Swipes had charge of the bag
gage department of the station at a sal
airy of $25 month.
The name of 'Swipes" still chung to
him, though he had proven himself not
only an honest young man, but gen
though he worked hard and faithfully
for the company, there appeared to be
no show for promotion for him.
There is no hope for me" he would
say. "How can l, who have not even 8
name for sure, ever expect promotion
when l must compete with young mer
who have respectable parents and nice
homes! If they want promotion, some
one of their influential friends who ha:
a 'stand-in' with the superintendent Of
some other official of the road, speaks ;
good word for them and they go righ
past mel"
He would not even unburden himsel
to his closest friend-the agent--as HI
had arrived at that point in q young
mans life where the conviction is forcec
upon him that no one cares whether HI
lives or dies. He plodded along during
the day, and attended a night school il
the evening. He had mastered station
work, and was capable of taking charge
of and running a small station-witl
the exception of telegraphing; in thi
he appeared to be rather obtuse, al
though he could telegraph, after
fashion.
The only recreation he took was witt
his bicycle. He had become an eXper
on a wheel and was considered author
ity on anything pertaining to cycling
Swipes still slept in the office. A sec
ton of the wainscoting partition be
tween the baggage-room and the offic
had been cut out and the lower sid
hung on hinges, and a stationary DO;
bunk had been made in the opening il
the baggage-room, which had a dro
door on the baggage-room side, so Their
would be chance for draught in tn
warm weather when both doors wer
open, and could be closed when not i
y use.
1 One night in the fall he crawled int
his bunk from the baggage-room, ant
e as the night was rather chilly, he di
E not drop the door on the office side. III
soon fell asleep. How long he ha
slept he could not say, but suddenly h
found himself wide awake.
/