The herald., 1896-01-20
HOW THE LITTLE MAN APOLOGIZED

Under the great shed of one of Chicago's
principal railway stations stood a train
about to depart on far journey into the
west, the engine sputtering and trembling
under its overcharge of steam. Conduct
ors and brakemen were swinging their lam
terms and bustling about, full of impor-
tance and everything but information.
Passengers were scurrying down the long
aisles, putting into the coaches, dropping
their bundles into seats and sinking in
after them, with looks of thankfulness
that they had not missed the train and
that there was at least a chance to rest.
Outside was a little, old man. dressed in
the grease-besmeared uniform of depot
emp!oye, swinging carelessly but with the
air of supreme importance along the side
of the train. He wore on his head cap of
the "tourist" pattern, which had been
pulled over his ears SO hard and so often
that it retained little, if any, of it's original
shape. His whiskers were of the "billy
goat" cut, and between his teeth was
tightly clinched black clay pipe, on
which he pulled complacently. In his
right hand he carried hammer, with
which he raped the car wheels as he
passed, carefully listening to the ''ring" to
make sure they were in order to stand the
whirring over the rails expected OF them.
Under the last car the little man found
one wheel that did not ring to suit him
under the blow of his hammer. He tapped
it again, but with no more satisfactory re-
suit. Strengthening up, he shouted to
couple of assistants, who trudged along
from the other end of the station.
'Take out those wheels" he ordered
IL L 4 t.<I Dat h..
ductor of the train, overhearing the order,
began to expostuiate. In five minutes he
was to pull out.
"What's the matter with those wheels?"
he demanded of the little man with the
hammer.
"Take them out, say" was the only
reply m ~, ,,o,, ,,,,,,, ., :. +. than, or.
when we leave in a couple of minutes?"
demanded the conductor.
II don't care when you leave" replied
the inexorable little man, and turning to
his assistants he repeated the order: "Take
out those wheels"
At this juncture a man carrying a grip"
and who appeared to be recognized by
most everyone as a persoI. in authority,
stopped Oh his way toward the forward end
of a train on an adjoining track.
"Oh, guess those wheels will stand the
run all right" he said in an authoritative
way after the situation had been explained
to him.
"Well, your guessing has nothing to do
with it," snapped the little man in blue.
stake out those wheels, say"
Everybody seemed startled at the little
mans hot answer, the man to whom it was
addressed no less than the others. The en-
gine bell of the latter's train began to ring,
however, and he hurried away and swung
himself on the back platform.
0WpI1. yOIl7V0 cooked yOllr GOOSE NUT.
tered the conductor, turning on the reso-
Lutte little man in blue. "Do you know who
that was?"
'No, 1 don't know. Who was it?"
mo one but the vice-president of the
road"
"Oh, murther. Was that the vice presi-
dent? Why didn't you tell me?'
"You talked as if you didn't care, that's
why.'
A week later the same little man stood in
the vice presidents office, hat in hand,
trembling with fear for his job and with an
apology ready on his lips.
II didn't mean just what said the other
night,'' he began when he finally got the
vice presidents ear. If l had known it
was you-"
ssWhat you said what other night?" in
ing his visitor.
s'About taking out the wheels, SIR" slut
| tered the little man in blue.
"Oh, that was all right" good naturedly
| responded the vice-president. ''That's all
| right, You we're doing your duty as you
understood it. Don't worry about that"
"And anyway" went on the little man,
emboldened by the assurance OF the vice.
president, "anyway can't be supposed to
know every fool who comes along and
tries to tell me my business. ."-Chicago
Times-Herald.