The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-12

with me. 1t was the first time that ]
ever went wrong.
''It happened this way, BrotherWood-
bury he continued, turning to the PEN
ologist. 81 was brought up in a west
ern town. and got a fair education in the
schools and in little academy that the
folks out there We're rather proud Of
A few years later l drifted into New
York. without any money. and CHANGED
to run across a man whom had known
at home. He had started with a little
money, and had built it up to fortune
in New York. He seemed to be glad to
meet some one from the old place, and
was sympathetic when he learned that
/ was out of work and low in pocket.
If I would call on him at his office the
next day he would try to find me some
thing to do. / went there expecting to
get soft job and what do you think
he offered me?The position of night
Waterman in his furniture factory in
Long Island City.
From that moment hated the man.
and made up my mind to get square
with him. That was the only reason
why I took the job. 1t was worth ten
dollars week. Think of that! Well,
I went to work, and every week /
charged him, in my mind, with the
amount that he ought to have paid me
over and above what got. He was go-
ing in debt to me pretty fast, although
he didn't know it.
Late one afternoon T went to the
factory to begin my regular nights
rrax h,t I,
was in the Office. talking with his part
ner, Bob Stetson. The Office was a lit
tie one-story building conencted with
the factory by a covered walk. I saw
the two men through a window. They
We're talking across a big pile of money
tfat lay on Grayling's desk. Presently
] saw Grayling put the money in the
safe, and then Stetson went away.
"A few minutes later l showed up in
the office. Grayling told me he was GO
ing to be there till midnight, and that I
needn't come over from the factory be-
fore that time. Ordinarily I was sup
posed to make my regular rounds
hourly.
'Grayling went out for his dinner,
and came back about seven o'clock. l
took a look at him through the window.
He was at work on the books. and the
safe was open. The money was in that
safe. / had been thinking about that.
1t seemed to me that there ought to be
some way to collect what Grayling
owed me, according to my figuring.
Probably could get few dollars extra,
If worked it right.
'I was new at that sort of business
then, and naturally didn't know jus:
how to go to work. OF course, I might
have walked into the office, and prob
ably could have knocked Grayling on
the head without any trouble. But 1
hesitated at that. Murder isn't i'm my
line. and, besides, 1 didn't know how
much money there was in the pile that
/ had seen. Moreover, Grayling kept a
loaded revolver quite handy in a drawer
of his desk, as 1 had discovered while
glancing over his papers one night after
everybody had gone home.
perhaps 1 might have given up the
job, but luck was in my favor. About
nine O'Clock, as / was standing by the
window of the office looking in. and
thinking, a boy came along carrying a
tin pail. He had his hand on the knob
of the Office door when / spoke to him.
"'What have you got there?' said 1;
and he told me it was coffee for Mr..
Crayling.
He always has it sent over when he
works late said he. It's to keep him
awake, / suppose. I bring it around
from the restaurant, just before we
close up, and put it on the gas stove
in the back Office SO that it will keep
hot
''That's a pretty good idea,' said I.
Gould you get another pailful for me?'
He was willing: and after he had
carried in Grayling's coffee, he trotted
back to the restaurant after mine.
While he was gone. 1 ran around the
corner to a drug store, where I bought
some laudanum--for the toothache.
Pretty soon the boy came back with my
pail of coffee. and 1 paid him the price.
When he had gone 1 dosed the coffee
with laudanum very carefully, for
didn't want any accident to happen.