The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-10-06
! Roderick and the Janitor

hIX7HAT we will do NIT dis boy
w I don't know" said August,
the assistant janitor, to his chief. He
have saw off my mopstick to play dree
yer-olt cat, und hat my steps to mop
dis morning."
He was holding squirming, bullet
headed boy of about six years of age,
tucked under one arm, and his mu-
tilated mop in the disengaged hand as
the janitor came into the basement.
In spite of his tone, he wore his usual
amiable smile.
II guess will wear dis stick out wild
him." he continued, seating himself on
a nail key and arranging the boy
across his knee in position conven-
lent for punishment. Last week he
pulled all der feathers out of my feath-
er buster and cut oop my sink cane for
arrows und bows. will paddle him
goot und hardt."
"Look out, GUS" cried the urchin.
"You're rumpling up my waist with
your dirty hands and ma said I was to
| keep it clean for an hour. Lemme
down or I'll kick you in your old face.
| Lemme down, I say"
August twirled him around and then
set him down between his knees, which
the boy pushed and pounded ener-
| getically in his efforts to escape
make him let me go, Mr.. Connolly"
he said to the janitor.
The janitor made no answer to the
appeal, but regarded him with look
of great sternness, before which the
mischievous black eyes ct last fell,
abashed.
II didn't know he wanted his mop
stick so long" said the boy, half
alphabetically, half-defantly. HE
| didn't tell me not to saw it off. Pail
buy him another, anyway"
''Do you think your poor pa hasn't
anything else to do with his hard-col-
lected money than to buy 1nopsticks
for you to saw up?" inquired the
janitor severely. "Jamesey, you're the
worst boy in the buildin'.''
my name isn't Jamesey-it's Rod
erick," corrected the boy. "Lemme
go, Dutch.''
"You hold on to him, August" said
the janitor. Its nayther here nor
there what your name is, boy. I was
thinkin' of another boy they called
Jamesey-th' one I t'rowed into tn
furnace. He lived-let me see-he
lived in number 81; yis, that was the
number, 81. He was tn very spit an
moral of you, Roderick-th' worst
ever, exceptin' you. Look at your
waist, now; you've been climbin' up
that rain-water pipe again. What do
you suppose your mother will have to
say to that2"
"She don't care" said the boy.
"Why did you throw him into the
furnace? Did it kill him."
II t'rew him in," said the ianitor,
impressively, because he was all the
time plaguin' some one. He done much
about the same as you do-unscrewed
the knobs off the registers, slid down
the banisters, rang the bells of the
other people in tn buildin', left his
marbles in the vestibule, climbed UP
the rain-water pipe an was all the
time raisin' Ned. I tell you he was
dead tough, was that boy Jamesey. !
mind one time he swum his boat in TIL
bath an left tn water runnin', Just like
you done, an tn people down below
had to have new ceilin'"
''What was his other name?" asked
the little boy.
His other name ?" repeated the JAM.
tor, with wink at August. "His other
name was-was Reagan. That was it
Jamesey Reagan-a little repprybate
No worse than you are, though. Well
one day this boy Jamesey comes into
the basement where 1 was a-workin'
an takes my gimlet an bores holes all
through Augustus locker, an then he
takes my blue chalk an goes upstairs
chalkin' blue lines on tn wall all tn
way up"
The little boy looked guilty.
II foundit out" resumed the ianitor
after a prolonged stare of much seri
BUSINESS, IAN when I was in the base
ment that afternoon maxim up the
fires an Jamesey came down I just
grabbed him an opened the furnace
door"
my grandma told me about three
men being thrown into furnace" in
terrupted Roderick can old kine
threw them in, an the furnace was al
fiery. too, but it didn't hurt them, an
their clo'es wasn't even singed."
THAT may all be-" remarked the
janitor. "but you don't want to banl
on that an spread molasses on my
sandpaper to ketch flies with like yo,
done yesterday. You can bet Jamesey'.
c1o'es was singed. Yes, I t'rowed hin
; in an shut the door, an that was thu
last of him.
what did his mamma say?" asked
the boy, little anxiously.
. 'Wel, was goin' to tell you that
About supper time Mrs.-Mrs. Reagan
. comes down, an she says: Have 70,
seen that noaccount boy of mine, Mr.
Connolly? An I says: .Yes'm; h,
cha1ked up the walls with my chall
mn +: tsrnyUe6 him in Tho f,,r.con