The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-04
The Model of
q Statesman.

Charles NJ. Skinner. in The Philistine.
When Abiel Whitworth went to the
assessors Office to get 80 per cent taken
from the taxable value of his house and
lot he stepped Jauntily into the room.
Then he shuddered II want to see the
assessor" he faltered.
Now. the man who had lifted his head
when he stepped on the rug before the
official desk filled him with q vague
ALARM He was of only medium size.
not we'll put together: he had curling
black mustache. a heavy, monkey-like
face. miraculolsuly clean shave. a
political diamond in his shirt, new
clothes and an air of brutal leisure that
reminded one OF u sphinx, or an alder
| man. But it was the shining, CLASSY.
far seeing eye, with its lashes turned
back, that startled Mr.. Whitworth. 1t
was so cold, so empty of expression, so
thoroughly uncanny that 1t scared him.
After a long, searching look, in which
he did not seem to breathe. the assessor
bent his head and resumed the study of
paper that lay on the desk before
him.
Mr.. Whitworth waited: clock licked
and buzEed somewhere in the room. en-
phazinE the silence: then he gulped and
repeated, IL want to see Mr.. Flannery,
the assessor"
Some seconds elapsed this time be-
fore the man at the desk raised his head
again and transfiXed him with another
stare: then he resumed his reading.
The man was wrong, in some way. Was
he mad? He might be a vampire, or a.
ghoul. for he did not look or act like .
human being. Mr.: Whitworth became
quite chilly in his blood.
II don't believe ! want to see the as
sessor," he said, huskily, and was about
to turn away and run. when a solitary
clerk, who had been toiling over u
ledger I'm the back Of the room, fastened
forward and said. beg pardon. sir, but
was in the middle of calculation and
wanted to finish it, Can do anything
for you?"
II wanted to see Mr.. Flannery."
This represents Mr.. Flannery." said
tn clerk, ''and represents him remark
ably well, in more than one way. He is.
II l may so call him. the official Mr..
Flannery."
Il don't understand"
II dare say not. We don't let every
body know about it," And, calmly lift
ing Mr. Flannery's head from his shoul-
ders, the clerk reached down his neck
and adjusted something inside of him.
The sound OF the clock stopped, and MIR.
F'lannery did not lift his head again
after 1t was replaced.
Mr.. WhitwOrth gaSped.
You see. SIR" added the clerk. "Mr.
Flannery was appointed by Mayor
Rourke, at the request of Boss Nc
Manus. 1t was supposed that he could
read and write. for he has been quite
successful in managing primary elec-
tions, and has made good lot of money
in the saloon business. But he can't
read and he IL busy. so what was the
use In his coming to the office? He had
this wax figure of himself made to sit at
his desk. and there is q spring attach
ment that works whenever anyone
stands on that rug. The figure, you see.
lifts its head once in twenty seconds.
and that is all that Flannery does when
he is here. The taxpayers have been
kicking so hard about absentees that
the boss and others have been stirring
the office holders up and Flannery
thinks it's only right to make this much
Of a concession. Very few find out that
1t Is not F'lannery. except that he swears
more. If you want to see the sure
enough Flannery go down to his saloon
on Columbus avenue. He comes here
every second Saturday-he is very good
about that-to get his pay"
Seems to me you are giving him
away pretty freely
well to tell the truth. I'm hoping to
get his job myself, under the new
mayor"
Tn which Narrative an Allegory may
perhaps be discovered without u power
fn1 Mind M a Micrnscnne