The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-01-27

up. sullivan Will take your place,
though 1 know he won't be able to
handle it as well as you. That re-
minds me, Roffey, it's part of the
arrangement that I can call on you
at any time and get your advice when
l want it,"
"Old Roffey" pulled himself to-
gether with an effort as his daughter
came downstairs and told her he be-
ieved he would take a walk. He put
on his old plush cap and overcoat and
stood still while his daughter brushed
him down energetically with whisk
broom; then he went out and stood
on the sidewalk for a few minutes
looking up and down the street, un-
decided which way he should go. AS
he stood there Hayes, the bartender
at Jim Payson's place, came up and
stopped to offer his congratulations.
"They tell me you're a gentleman
now, Mr.. Roffey," he said. Nothing
to do but amuse yourself"
That's it," assented "Old Roffey,"
'dryly, nothing to debut amuse my
self"
you're in mighty big luck" said
Hayes, enviously. "Most of them when
they've worn a man out and amt got
no more use for him turn him off and
let him starve if he amt got nothing
laid by. He must be a good man to
work for, that boss of yours"
Hes all of that" said "Old Rof-
fey" with fervor.
He did not stay out long, however.
He walked up the street and down
the street, and in the course of his
walk he met a number of his acquaint-
ances, who felicitated him heartily, but
with the same sort of wistful envy
that the barkeeper had shown. The
old man almost decided that they must
be right and that he was lucky. Then
he went in and smoked thoughtfully
until dinner.
In the afternoon he yielded to the
impulse that had been strong upon
him for days and went over to the foun-
dry. It seemed to him as he passed
into the cinder-strewn and sloppy yard
with its stacks of charred TASKS and
litter CT scrap iron that he had been
away for years. Looking up on the
bank at the rear of the building he
saw that the cupola was sending aloft
its sheet of fame, while half dozen
men were staggering to and from the
mouth of the raging furnace laden with
pig iron and broken castings which
they threw in with mighty heavings
under the direction of Murphy, the fore
| man. Murphy barely nodded to "Old
Roffey," and almost Immediately
poured forth blighting stream of pro-
family on the devoted head of one OF
the helpers who was in the act of pitch
ing some wrought iron into the cupola
None of the others made any sign oi
recognition. They were too busy.
The old man turned slowly away and
descended the steps that led into the
foundry, and as he did SO Murphy came
| running down and pushed by him with
out word. 'Old Roffey" would have
taken this as matter of course weel
| ago, but to-day it hurt him.
A minute later he was standing in.
side watching the men trotting up will
the heated, clay-lined ladies with the
| interested air of one to whom the
| sight was new. Charley Stokes wa.
there, and Scotch Dave, Tom Burton
| and Little Pete. Fritz Schuler, the
| stubby, dark-browed importation from
the Black forest, was standing with his
long pole poised to poke the clay stop
ping from the cupola spout, and VIII
liam was standing behind him, anxiou.
and observant, but none of them hai
word for him-hardly look or G
smile-they were all busy.
AS he passed out into the cleaning
| room, where the men were plying ham
mers and chisels chipping the jagged
shell-Iike edges from the castings, the
| old man felt a momentary impulse te
see whether his hand had lost its Gun
ming, but they were all busy and hi
had not the courage to interrupt them
He would go up to the pattern room.
| Sullivan was there, but he was too in
tent on his work at the lathe to notice
| his visitor at first. "Old Roffey'
| glanced curiously around the room
Nothing was changed but the draught
l lug tdDlc, tudt Was luOfcQ ONcT W tLs
window. He looked at his old locker
and something seemed to be clutching
at his throat. Sullivan's assistant was
smoothing off die pattern with SAND
| paper, and "Old Roffey" noticed that
he was spelling it, but
Sullivan looked up. "Why, hello, Mr.
Roffey" be said, cordially. "What
brings you up here?"
II thought I'd kind of take lool
around" said the old man. "How are
you getting along?"s
"Fine-first rate" replied Sullivan
"1t's keeping me pretty busy, though
| Andrews, the foreman of the machine
shop, put in his head at the door just
then and said that he was ready an6
Sullivan took up his hat. "Come uI
again some time, Mr.. .Roffey," he said
81 want to see you, but I'm too busy
now"
"Hello," said Andrews. "Is that you
Roffey? Come in and see me. I'll be
| in the shop in half an hour"
| But "Old Roffey" did not go that
afternoon. He had not the heart.-Chi
cago Daily Record.
He Obeyed Instructions.