Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1896-03-06
UNAPPREC!ATED HONESTY.
Pride and Fall of the Man Who Tried to |
BE Even Handed with the Post Once.

Pride and Fall OF the Man Who Tried to
he Even Handed with the Post Office.
You can't always tell about honesty.
Sometimes you see man making a
great show of it, just for the sake Of the
show, not for the sake of the honesty.
The other day man went to the post
Office and asked for two fve-cent
stamps. He laid down his dime, took
his two stamps, put them in pocket
case, and went away. Three or four
days afterward he had occasion to use
one Of them. Just as he was about to
stick it ON the letter ne had written he
noticed that it was a siX-cent stamp in
stead of five-center.
''What do care % he said to himself.
eff five cents will send the letter, sin
will" -...........
Then it occurred to him that the
clerk who had sold the stamps was cut
two cents for the mistake.
II can't help it, the buyer argued;
lit wasn't my fault, and it's too far to
go to the post office just for two cents.
It's honest, of course, but it's only two
cents. How it would paralyze the
clerk, though, to have me come in and
rectify his little mistake for him. Make
him feel good, sure. Probably he makes
such mistakes frequently, and I'll bet
mighty few men so back to make them
right. It's easy enough to kick when
the things against You, but this is dif-
ferent. Somebody ought to kick about
these stamps anyway, hard and good,
to somebody way up. They're just like
the tives in size, shape, and color. No
wonder he made the mistake. BY JOve,
I'll go over and see him."
So the two-stamp buyer put on his
overcoat and hat and went out into the
cold and tramped over to the post Of
flee to make show of his honesty.
There was a long line of men waiting
their turn at the window. The honest
man waited patiently, and used ZIP sew
eral dollars worth of time trying to
give back two cents that didn belong to
him. At last he got to the window.
II bought these two stamps here the
other day" he began, for tive-cent
stamps
Those in the waiting line began to
crowd up to hear the kick, and the face
of the stamp clerk took in an express
sion just shade more tired than usual.
but they are six-cent stamps went
| on the honest man, land the clerk must
be out two cents, so 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 half window. A murmur OF
approval ran through The crowd. I he
honest man swelled out with the con
seriousness of his own uprightness
The stamp clerk fooled with his stamps
and then said:
"You didn't buy 'em of me-"
no" answered the honest man, lit
was another clerk. I don't believe Id
know him, though, if should see him.
l wasn't long enough at the window"
''Well,' said the clerk very distinctly.
Il can't take your two cents. The other
clerk has lost it, that's all. The gov
eminent isn't out anything, and can't
take it.. I'll give you ive-cent STAMPS
if you like" and he reached out for the
siN-centers.
The honest man was the surprised
one, so surprised for a moment he
couldn't think of anything to say
Then he blurted out:
'Why-why can't you take EN-?
They've not mine. paid for tives and
got SKIES"
Tn, clerk leaned forward and
drawled out so that half the men in
line could hear it:
'How do know that you are not IN
inspector laying trap to catch me
The honest man thrust his hands in
his overcoat pockets and strobe away
with q muttered: well, I'm blowed,
and half q dozen of the men began to
whistle ~Theres Are Others" n. I.
Sun.