The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1896-07-08
UNAPPRECIATED HONESTY.
Pride and Fall of the Man Who Dallied
With the Postsffice.

Pride and Fall of the Man Who Da1lied
With the Posteffice.
You can't always tell about hon.
esty. Sometimes you see a man
making a great show Of it just for
the sake Of tho show, not for the
sake Of the honesty. The other day
q man went to the postofice and
asked for two cent stamps. He
laid down his dino, took his two
stamps, put them in a 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 he had written
he noticed that it was a cent stamp
instead of center.
''What do care?" he said to him.
self. IF cents will send the letter,
, 6 will"
Then it occurred to him that the
clerk who had sold the stamps was
out 2 cents for the mistake.
II can't help it" the buyer ar
gued 1T WASH t my fault, and it's
too far to go to the postoffice now
for cents. It's honest, of course,
but it's only 2 cents. How it would
paralyze tho clerk, though, to have
me come in and reotify his little
mistake for him. Mako him feel
good for Christmas sure. Probably
he makes such mistakes frequently,
and Ill bet mighty few men go back
to mako them right. It's easy enough
to kiolz when the things against
you, but this is different. Somebody
ought to kick about these stamps
anyway, hard and good, to some-
body way up. They re just like the
f1ves in sizo, shape and color. No
wonder he made tho mistake. BY
Jove, I'll go over and SEQ him. "
So the two stamp buyer put on his
overcoat and hat and went out into
tho cold and trampod over to the
postoffice to make show Of his hon.
esty. There was long line Of men
waiting their turns to transact bust
ness at the stamp window The hon
est man waitod patiently and used
up several dollars worth of time
trying to give back 2 cents that
didn't belong to him. At last he got
his place at the window
II bought these two stamps here
the other day. ho began, "for S
cent stamps"
Those in tho waiting line began
to crowd up to hear tho kick, and
the face Of the stamp clerk took OH
an expression just q shade moro
tired than usual .M.
"But thoy re cent stamps - went
OH the honest man, land the clerk
must be out 2 conts, SO I want to
give them blcl.''
Tho stamp clerk opened his eyes q
bit wider and stopped down to get q
good look at tho honest man through
the little half window. A murmur
Of approval ran through the crowd.
Tho honest man sWolled out with
tho consciousness of his own up
rightness. Tho stamp clerk fooled
with his stamps and then said:
"You didn't buy 'em of me.'
"No, {" answered the honest man,
ait was another clerk ! don't be-
1ieve I'd know him, though, if I
should 500 him. I wasn't long
enough at the window"
''Well, - said the clerk very dis
tinctly, IT can't take your 2 cents.
The other clerk has lost it, that's
all. The government ism t out any
thing, and I can t take it. I'll give
you cent stamps.if you like" and
he reached out for the 6 centors.
The honest man was the surprised
ono, SO surprised that for moment
he couldn' think Of anything to say.
Then he blurted out:
&"Why-why can't you take 'em.
They re not mine. T paid for fves
and got SKIES"
Tho clerk leaned forward and
drawled out SO that half the men
In limo could hear it:
How do I know that you are not
an inspector laying a trap to catch
me?''
The honest man thrust his hands
In his overcoat pockets and strode
away with a muttered "Well, I'm
d--dn and half a dozen of the
men began to whistle ''There Are
Others. '--New York Sun.