The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-11-25

>"ASS anu tdken place tlaC /
was made head clerk, and that a
stranger named Charles William
thompson appeared in the town OF
Greendale. Our business was that OF
general store, and Mr.. Baker was the
owner of big wooden mill in the town.
The rear end of the store, with an ELI
trance on the side street, was divided
OIL and rented to the government as
post office, and there was door commu-
nicating from the store. Mr.. Baker
had large. safe in the store, and in
this the postmaster kept his spare
funds and stamps. We had three clerks
and bcokkeeper, and it was rare that
any of us had an idle hour.
Mr.. Baker was a jolly. good-natured
man of middle age, who dearly loved a
joke. People used to say that his hearty
laugh was as good as tonic. Mr..
Thompson arrived at Greendale one aft
ernoon to search out some long lost rel
atives. He was also jolly and good ma
turcd and middle-aged. BY the laws Of
magnetism it was perfectly natural for
the two to come together and joke and
laugh. This was just what happened.
They liked each other so well at first
sight that Mr.. Thompson forgot al!
about his lost relatives, and Mr.. Baker
lost an hour out Of the busiest part of
the day. However, as he got ready to
leave the store that evening he called
me into his private Office and said:
"Charles, you saw Mr.. Thompson in
the store this afternoon?"
Eyes, sir"
He's stranger in town, looking up
some relatives. Very nice mania! ha:
ha! Tells a very funny story, and i:
does me good to hear him laugh. You.
heard us laughing, didn't you, Charles ?"
Eyes. sir"
"ies-um! Well, you may like Mr..
Thompson, and you may laugh and also
make him laugh, but keep your eye OF,
him just the same. He's very jolly
man. but I've got an idea that he can
b" very serious on occasions. There are
times when our safe holds large sums of
money, and Mr.. Thompson may covet
those greenbacks. Laugh with him,
my boy, but watch him at the same
time"
MIR. Thompson soon began dropping
into the store in an off-hand way and
making small purchases as an excuse to
get a general look about and engage the
different clerks in conversation. He ap-
peared to take to" me as much as he
dbl to Mr.. Baker, and to make dead
set to win my favorable opinion. AS a
matter of fact, he could beat any DRUM
mer on the road telling story, and al!
his conundrums were new and full Of
surprises. But for Mr.. Bakers words Of
caution should have taken the man as
he evidently wanted me to, and after Il
week should not have hesitated to seat
him alone in the office. As it was, I
laughed with him, but kept my eyes
open. and after few days thought
his object in dropping into the store
was to get close look at our big safe.
The safe had combination lock set on
four letters and changed every few
weeks, and only two of us had the word.
At that time the word was "Jose." Aft
CT few days, and one day soon after
Mr.. Thompson had spent half an hour
in the office with Mr.. Baker, the latter
:alle1 me in to ask:
.
Thompson very agreeable man?'
Yes, SIR" I replied.
TELLS very funny story in very
funny way-ha! ha! ha! Never repeats
himself, and never gets off anything
I'D. Makes you laugh, doesn't hep
YES, sir"
"Yes, of course-ha! ha! However,
keep your eyes on him just the same.
I think he comes in here to look at the
safe, rather than to joke, and I'm Civ
ing him every chance to inspect it.
think he will invite you to pass an even
ing with him pretty soon, and if so you
had better accept. Laugh with him,
Charles-laugh as hard as you can
but at the same time be on your guard.
The funny Mr.. Thompson-ha! ha!
hal"
Mr.. Thompson had the best room at
the best hotel. It came to pass that he
invited me to spend an evening with
him, and he had cake and wine and
song and story, and never enjoyed
myself better. BY and by, as we laughed
and joked, Mr.. Thompson turned the
conversation to photography and its
blunders. and it came to pass that he
asked me to write down 20 words
of four letters each. I wrote John"
"Hope," "Dash," bill" and enough
others to make up the 20, but did
not write "Jose." Mr.. Thompson knew
that the safe was set on four letters. In
asking me to write down 20 words
of four letters each he might reasonably
count on my writing the safe word. l
might have done So. except for Mr..
Bakers caution.
Eyes. Charles, he was after the word
ha! ha! hal" laughed my employer
next day when I related the incident
''Mr Thompson is very funny man.
but l think we are funnier than he is.
IFeeling quite sure that one of the 20
words is the word he is after, his
next move will be to get into the store
some night and make try for the con-
tents of the safe. We must laugh,
Charles-we must keep right on laugh
ing with the funny Mr.. Thompson
but we must also keep right on watch
ing him-ha! ha! hal"
Our general custom was to keep the
store open until nine o'clock at night,
and the post Office also held to that
hour. Mr.. Baker was the first to leave
Then the bookkeeper would go, and he
would be followed by the clerks. and it
was my duty to hang on until about
half-past nine and set things to rights
before leaving. By and by, towards the
last of the month, the funny Mr.. Thomp-
son began dropping in about nine, so