The Washington weekly post., 1899-11-28
cssyngaL 1883. y c. z. Le-lsJ

n AAtPF'AA la-AD ftJEM NO. p
with bis mining stocks.
said the elevator boy.
stopped the elevator az the fourth foo
10 see fight between a telegraph bo
and tEe barJcT-shop 5o0tblack I didn'
hear any one ring. but pretty soon Mr
Wassoon came down the stairs from tn
eighth floor and he was fairly bollln
over. lie called me a monkey. youni
duner. a ouisance. a liar. and lots OF 9th
eT names. and as / took him up he grab
bed me by the hair and shouted:
You either attend 20 business or ge
on the earth! I've lost thousand dollar
by your fooling around. and I'd like u
break your worthless neck"
Yes sir | said.
Don't give me any back talk, The
idea Of Rasher keeping a Kid like yoJ
around here Is something / won't stand
I'll have you bounced tomorrow"
Yes. sir; but I'm fatherless.'
I'm glad OF Il. though I'd Ike 10 be q
father 20 you for about ten minutes,
Boy. my name is Wassoon.'
Yes. sir
1 deal in mining stocks and am full
Of business. / may possibly conclude 10
let you stay on: but IL / do you've got 10
be a different Kid. I'm the star tenant OF
this sky-scTaper. That elevator is for
my personal convenience. When / ring
you are 10 tumble over yourself 10 get up
10 the eighth
He said lot more and threatened
me Till I had a chill and for three or
four days I was as humble as a cat. Then
] began 10 realize that my dignity as an
elevator-boy had suffered and that
ought 10 do something to get even. l was
waiting for something to turn up when 1
caught him making eyes at the assistant
teacher in the school Of stenography. on
the fourth floor. think she rather encour-
aged him, for the next day he called me
up and handed me a dozen roses, and
said:
" 'Samrnis my name IL Wassoon, and
am full Of business, but II is our duty, no
matter how much business we have on
hand. TO let riffs Of sunshine into the lives
OF others
Yes. sir. it be
Should you happen TO see Miss Alden.
Of the fourth. you can hand her this. Just
do ii casually. Sammis. as If it were acci-
dental. Here is a slip OF paper on which
Is written q few words. 1t goes with the
bouquet. There is no name. and she will
probably press you TO know who sent
the flowers
But ! viii resist the pressure. sir
Well, yes That is, up to a certain
point. Then don't give my name right
out, but hint at il. My sole object is 10
let the poor girl understand that some one
in this cold and cruel world sympathizes
with her.
Il took the bouquet down to old Mr.
Graham. on the third floor, and handed
IL softly in and told him he could rely
on me TO keep still. The slip CT paper
said that the bouquet was from one who
admired at a distance, and the old man
smiled all over as he said:
BY George, Sammis, but this pleases
me! I'm no masher, but I've known for
week past that / had an admirer on
the fourth floor. I'll have her out to
dinner as a reward for this
The next morning / Slipped note under
Mr.. Wassoon's door. 1t was a note Of
thanks for his unselfish kindness, and it
took me two hours 10 compose it. Late in
the afternoon old Mr.. Graham called me
in and said:
" 'Sammis, here is a box of chocolates.
l wish them delivered to the person who
so delicately remembered me yesterday.
You need give no name. l think the
person will understand
r.
soon. He smiled like June morning, but
asked no questions. It took me three
days more 20 get the conspiracy down
fine, but at length all was ready. That is.
Mr.. Wassoon and old Mr. Graham an
peared simultaneously on the fourth floor
as the clock struck l.. Each one of them |
had decided to take Miss Alden out 10 |
lunch II was a couple of minutes before |
they noticed each others presence. Then |
Mr.. Wassoon looked at Mr. Grahuam and
uttered a 'humphr Mr.. Graham repaid |
him with two 'humphsr Then Mr.. Was |
soon said:
There ought to be lynch law in this |
country for certain old reprobatesr
And If there was you'd 90 up to a |
iTnb before nightr said Mr.. Graham.
AT that moment Miss Alden came out |
10 go TO lunch. Both men smiled and |
bowed. Both advanced. Both observed in
the same breath that it would give them
The utmost pleasure 20 escort her out 10
unch. She looked from oLe TO the other
n a surprised way. and then drew herself
Ip and said:
Permit me TO pass, please. I DO not
know either one of your
she passed. She had been out OF sight
wo minutes before either of the men had
ttoNtIFu lIOil tilt SHOth- men MI WIS
oon turned on Mr.. Graham and shouted:
- You old viper of the jungle. but YOU
iave been poisoning this wOman's mind
against me"
81" You cockeyed buzZard of the plains.
,ut you have slandered mer yelled Mr..
Graham.
- You miserable liarr
" You black-hearted seoundrslr
Then they pitched into each other and
,anged up against the walls and rolled
,ver the floor and it took five men to
eparate them. After it was all over Mr. ;
{asher, the agent OF the building. sent
or me, and when / told him how it was.
ie looked at me for long time, and then ,
aid:
Z" 'Sammis, the owner 81 a sky scraper
5 a great mana great man.
&" "Yes. sir he be
e" And the owners agent is a great man ,
a great man
" Yes. sir ,
L" But an elevator boy who knows his
ait Is greater than the two rolled into /
ne. You seem TO be doing well for a faith i
rless boy-very we'll $
Two days later NJ. WassoOn caught |
10 on his floor and stopped me to ask:
q" 'Sammis. did ! understand you TO say
hat you were fatherlessT y
Yes, sir I
And struggling to pay of a mortgage
n the widows homer
Yes sir g.
Well. here's a dollar on the mortgage. ,
nd - J have no son Of my own you can :
all NC papa. ] wouldn't so shouting all
yer the building II / We're you, but any
me you feel lonely. just slip up and tn 4
a. you on the back and call you sonny !,
nd cheer you up. No more put up jobs !,
n your papa, Sammis. Ta-ta'
And an hour later old Mr.. Graham put
dollar into my hand and whispered:
" For the mortgage. SammiS. and be-
geen you and me I'll be a father 10 YOU
'e won't say anything outside. but as
ither and son well work together 10
ring that old villain OF a Wassoon 70
lstice. Have an eye on him, Sammis,
nd remember that my Office hours are
ON O'Clock "A. m. 10 o'clock D. m and =
iat as your adopted father l shall Al |