Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-11-25
q Tale Of TWO Jokers.
BY CHAS. 3. LEWIS.
tCopyhght eO7J
BY cHAS. 3. LEWIS.
Copyright. 1901


USED 10 De the nrm or Baker d.
ii White, but Baker purchased Whites
interest in the firm, and then the sign
read: John II. Baker" 1t was Just aft.
err this change aid taken place that |
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 a big wooden mill in the town.
The rear end of the store, with an ELL
trance on the side street, was divided
OFT and rented to the government as a
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 bookkeeper, and it was rare that
any of us had an idle hour.
Mr.. Baker was 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
tured 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 all
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 a Mr.. Thompson in
the store this afternoon?"
eyes, SIR"
Hes a stranger in town, looking up
some relatives. Very nice manila! hal
hn! Tells very funny story, and it
does me good to hear him laugh. You
heard us laughing, didn't you, Charles ?"
eyes, sir"
"Yes-um! Well, you may like Mr..
Thompson, and you may laugh and also
make him laugh, but keep your eye on
him just the same, He's a very jolly
man, but I've got an idea that he can
be 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"
Mr.. Thompson soon began dropping
into the store in an off-hand way and
making small purchases as an excuse to
get Il general look about and engage the
different clerks in conversation. He APP
peared to take to- me as much as he
dbl to Mr.. Baker, and to make a dead
set to win my favorable opinion, AS
matter of fact, he could beat any drum
mer on the road telling a story, and all
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 u
week should not have hesitated to seat
him alone in the office. AS it was, /
laughed with him, but kept my eyes
open, and after few days l thought
his object in dropping into the store
was to get close look at our big safe.
The safe had a 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
er a few days, and one day soon after
Mr.. Thompson had spent half an hour
in the office with Mr.. Baker, the latter
alled me in to ask:
"We1l, Charles, do you find our Mr..
Thompson a very agreeable man?"
Eyes, sir" replied.
"Tells very funny story in a very
funny way-ha! ha! ha! Never repeats
himself, and never gets off anything
I'D. Makes you laugh, doesn't hep"
eyes, sir"
Eyes, 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. l
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!
haw
Mr.. Thompson had the best room at
the best hotel. 1t came to pass that he
invited me to spend an evening with
him, and he had cake and wine and
song and story, and l never enjoyed
myself better. By and by, as we laughed
and ioked, Mr.. Thompson turned the
conversation to photography and it's
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 90, but did
not write Jose" Mr., Thompson knew
that the safe was set on four letters. In
asking me to write down 90 words
of four letters each he might REASONABLY
count on my writing the safe word. 1
might have done SO, except for Mr.,
Bakers caution.
Eyes, Charles, hewas after the word
ha! ha! hal" laughed my employer
next day when | related the incident.
"NIr. Thompson is very funny man,
but 1 think we are funnier than he is.
Feeling quite sure that one of the 20
words is the word he is after, his