The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1896-12-11

give you that much for "A months work.
/ won't pay IT," and the deacon shook
his fist at Swipes in a menacing man
ner.
..All right, OF man.; the feller that
sent IL will have 10 pay il, them re-
torted Swipes, as he started of.
The deacon turned his team; gave his
trousers a hitch; tool of his shoe and
knocked the dirt out of IL 10y striking
il against the pillow beam; replaced IT;
took a chew of tobacco; slapped b old
sorrel mare on the rump with the lines,
and resumed blowing corn
lie 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. II his nephew were compelled
10 paw for il, he would be notified hat
the deacon had refused payment, which
| would be the means of knocking the
| deacon out Of the 500 which he so much
coveted.
Bv the time he had returned to the
side Of the field where Swipes had
| given him the message he had concluded
| 10 hail the boy and pay him the so cents,
| il he could not jew him down TO %.
| S'vipes was nearly a mile away, and the
| deacon could not get his attention, al
| though he called Justify. He finally I'M
| hitched his team, and, mounting the old
sorrel marc, started her toward town at
her best gait. When he had overtaken
Swipes the deacon said:
"Irl give you IS cents for fetchin'
out that air message. an not another
cent"
Il amt carryin' messages three miles
for o5 cents answered Swipes, in a
sarcastic tone. "An' since you're so
anxious to settle, it'll take jist a dollar
an a half 10 square it," he added.
The agent had told Swipes that the
telegraph company would allow a mes
senger to collect so cents per mile in
some cases"
The deacon foamed and ragged, threat
ening a whipping and arrest, but to nc
laval. Swipes stuck TO his price.
After making the boy promise tina
nothing would be said to his nephew
about refusing payment for the deliv
| trN oil the IntcsuEt, IA tA~o 80
ingly paid the s1.5o.
When Swipes related the circumstanc
, TO the agent IL so amused him that tn
little fellow was Immediately engage'
as messenger boy. which position wa
> vacant AT the time. The salary wa
/. small. though more than enough to pa,
: ~hissboard. and by sleeping in the ofhc
IIA 80 nnnnnr1f1a QlOSHI
enough to clotbe himself fairly wei
, He also had the privilege Of %learnin
. telegraphy and station work.
Thus IL was that. at the end of te
: years, Swipes had charge of the bag
/, gage department of the station at q sa
= ary Of SIS a month.
The name of 'Swipes" still chung
him, though he had proven himself NJ
only an honest young man. but a &c
tlenian in every sense of the word A
though he worked hard and faithful
! for the company, there appeared to
no show for promotion for him.
There is no hope for me" he YOU
: say. "How can /, who have not even
name for sure, ever expect promotion
when / must compete with young me
who have respectable parents and nit
homes. If they want promotion, son
!, one of their influential friends who hi
:, n .stand-in' with the superintendent
" some other official of the road, speaks
: good word for them and they go rig
!. past me-"
He would not even unburden himse
: to his closest ~friend-the agent-as
~ had arriv a at IL - point in a your
mans life where the conviction is fore
- upon him that no one cares whether
lives or dies. lie plodded along duril
= the dav. and attended a night school
!, the evening. He had mastered stati'
= work. and was capable of taking char
" Of and running n small station-wl
the exception of telegraphing; in II
e he appeared to be rather obtuse.
y though he could telegraph, after
fashion.
>! The only recreation he o was wi
his bicycle. He had become an exp
ID on a wheel and was considered auth
he ity on anything pertaining to cyclii
es Swipes still slept in the Office. As
ton of the w~ainscoting partition
TO tween the baggage-room and the of
had been cut out and the lower s
lid hung on hinges. and a stationary
bunk had been made i'm the opening
the baggage-room. which had a di
door on the baggage-room side. so tn
to would be n chance for a draught In
ak warm weather when both doors W
open. and could be closed when not
use.
xed One night in the fall &c crawled |
his bunk from tie b~aggage-room, a
the ms the night was rather chilly, he
he not drop the door on the office side.
the soon fell asleep. How long he
' of slept he could not say. but suddenly
found himself wide awake.
Her Presently he heard someone conv'
yy' ing in a low tone in the office, dire'
ies- in front Of his bunk. He recognized
the one of the speakers the new night o.
ator. who had arrived but a day or
con before. The other voice was stra
70 him. As he listened he heard