The Holly chieftain., 1898-11-11
THE JANITOR's GIRL.

= LII OA4v4 = VA ~ WILMA
"Ausnat Il going to .ses al girl, }" aid ii,
jAnitor, jocoseIy. ssHa doesn't 20 to ~ hss
vsry often-not more than cnee in the day
hut when be doss he goes dressed. WI
ys0 look at them clothes he's dassin' cutl
Henery Clay worstedB--no len. Ard the III
there's an ardent thing; tho man yuho d
signed that hit the lihit-hit h hs1h.
Il used to wonder," continued the ianitor,
loading up his pips, "how Aual1st MANAGED
to spend al his wesk,s wages. Hit since Pvs
been overlookin' him II keeps ~ gueasin'
how be evades our vigilent rslice, Two hold,
nps last night within block, ,see by thu
paper, an August still brathin the free
air Of heaven outside the county Ejl"
August. the assistant janitor, broad
shouldered, blond young German. turned
and grinned at his chief. Then having -
the garments alluded II ~
top Of . green painted
strihpsa of .has soiIsa kipg cjotba, -
going to the sink turned xbe fatitef and IL
the water, With rush and clsng, into tin
washbowl. Selling bar Of pale yellow spsp
he began to lather himself energetically and
at last emerged pink and dripping to erops
blindly for the towel behind the door.
The janitor watched him With an air Of
interested curiosity. you're poliAhed
enough for any society now, Gus, he ssid.
Your nose 10 shinin' like new brass door.
knob an the rest Of your features eiisten
correspondent. They'd have to cover your
face up with felt il you lived near powder
factory.
"He's got some grease scented with altar
of violets an new-mown hay in thablocker." |"
continued the janitor, "but be won't put
It on now because you are watchin' him.
look to see him bring q Handicapped bu-
reau into the basement some time and pile
it up with dinky little cutsisss bottles full
Of lip salve an Florida water. Thafs the
wrong leg you're putting your foot into.
What's the matter with you!"
The as.istant jsnitor. standing In an an
barrAssed attitude 90 ono leg on the aheet Of
newspaper he had spread on the cement
floor, disentangled himself from his mis-.
placed trouser Ind srinned again. They
was wrong side behind" be explained.
That was bad luck in the morning to do,
but at this time am not afraid."
You had better take Oh that vest asain
now" said the janitor few moments later.
your galluses would look better II they
could be seen. I'm stuck on that red pat
tern and then nickeled buckles Il attract
i've, but It seems like ostentation TO have
yard Of red suspenders dangling below Jour
coat tails"
August was plainly agitsted. He hnr.
rieday made the change which his superior
had suegested and then proceeded With his
toilet. II was not long bsfore his attention
was called to the fact that he was putting on
the old shoes he had just taken off instead Of
the vell.polkhed "tans" in the lockefs. But
at tsst be was completely and regaily
dressed.
The Henry Clay worsteds'' were not ex.
setly new-the back and elbows Of the cost
bad much Of the same Gioss that laundry
soap and friction had impal ed 10 August's
facs-but they bad been brpshed until moi
4 speck Of dust was &icernihIe in any
Of ths disonaAl .cfeyitse. The parrow collar
was hardly soiied ssS tIie ends Of the II
descent necktie were tucked into the white
shirt bosom above carbuncle ssud that
glowed with laml ent caret fame.
August pressed = small derby bat care
fully down on his well.brushed yellow hair
and took his dinner pail from the top Of the
locker. Good night" be said
Hold on minute" called the jsnitor, q
August turned to 60. Il want 70 have Z
little serious conversation with you You've
been nutty all day
"So?" chuckled August.
Yes. So You swept the hall and stair,
of 363 twice this morning within an hour
and Mrs. Connolly says you were singing
like cuckoo clock outside her door. II
hadn't superintended you just now, instead
OF goin' forth like Solomon in all his glory
goin' to keep date with the queen Of Shelby
you'd have been pinched for an escaped
idiot before you'd gone block. What do
you think the girl-would have said!'
August stood 4 moment irresolutely fun
bling the dinner pail in his big red hauds
and smiling broadly.
There Is now two girls At the home, (" be
said. at last, "and both Of them the doctor
he says is doing very we'll" Thsn be turned
aud walked quickly away through the
gloomy passage and the spring door Of tbs
basement slammed behind him.
I'm beat" said the janitor, when he had
recovered little from his surprise. Would
you believe me when l tell you that Fnta
Emmett lunkhead has been married over
year! Well. ! never lied in my life il that
amt true. And now there's a kid. Well.
that's natural, suppose. All that surprises
me is that he mentioned the trif1in' circum.
stance. He isn't what you might term con.
vcrsational man, but he's all right, il Al.
gust, an I'm gettin' him loosened up by Dc.
grees. Mrs. Connolly makes him talk quits
unreservedly. but Mrs. Connolly'd isarn
anyone that habit. She learned me. Ehet
got quiet, listenin', undsrstandin' way that
would set craven image to babbling. II
fist come to know about August being mar.
RED through her. She just naturally tailed
the secret out Of HIM. Not that imagine he
cared much whether anybody knew or moi.
but he would never have told il somebody
Ike Mrs. Connolly hadn't got hold Of him.
she made heroes out OF both August and the
girl and got everybody IN the house inter
ested, but August says he can't see where
tnere - anything very heroic in it unless il |
y on his wife's part.
He came to me 'about two years aao
inntin' job an liked the look Of him az
took him 70 the agent an the agent hired
aim gave him cot and be slept here 10
the basement BY the furnace in winter and
out in the tooroom II, summer. The last !,
nan ] had was descendant Of kines al
when unbcnt little in the way Of con. |
1ers.tion With him he wanted TO jump on |
ny back and ride me right away, 70 kept
August little distant at first, though I Il. |
nays liked to josh him > little to ~ hin
Irin. One day be mid be was goin to quit |
dsspin' In the basement an then ths
as1t thing be .Aowed up in them earments
he's srrayed In SOW. supposed be had sot i
Eri an joshed him about it. but be only
aid: Sol an spread his mouth horizontal
Evsry night h1d take od his jumper al
'veralls an Rx up the way you ssw him 70.
niqht an Sundays ws nsver NV lide no.
,sis Of him. Ops day ArG ConnolIy AN;
po you know August L naArsisdr Ya'l
y sayA sms has boau thsoe four nsnthss