Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-07-02
Copyright. 1900. by c. B. I.ewls.1

WOMAN CAME IN.
ly counsel and to keep you out Of the
pitfalls Of life Almost any day wien
you come up here ! will advise you to
the best OF my ability. In return you
can help me. AS you go up and down
you will hear people asking for law
yer. You can direct them to me-"
"Yes, SIR"
"I make collections, secure divorces,
smooth over family quarrels and hunt
up the next of kin. / shall advertise
In the papers TO some extent, Sammis,
but in general way my work is on the
quiet"
$50 as to avoid rush. sir?'
"Thats it, Sammis. I don't like
rushes. A quiet, steady business Is
the one that pays. You can help me to
build it up. People will be looking
about the building for some one to col
lect debt, start a lawsuit, secure
divorce or what not, and you can steer
them TO me-"
"For a whack?" | asked.
81 know nothing about whacks, Sam
mis-" ho replied. That sounds like
a slang word to me. In return for
what you do for me I shall, as l said
a moment ago, be delighted to give
you fatherly advice and counsel. may
be the means Of saving you from the
gallows. Heed my advice, boy"
! got up TO go, wondering IL he
thought he had found soft mark,
when he patted me on the back and
continued:
Remember the name, Sammis-
Skidmore. If any inquirer should be
sort Of looking man am, you need
not go into particulars"
It was only day or two later when
a woman came in and asked II there
was a tenant in the building named
Higgins. She was followed by a man
who asked the same question, and dur
ing the day about six people came
looking after Higgins. Next day the
crowd increased. and finally along
came a tall gaunt woman with gray
eyes and two front teeth gone, who
said.
''Its Higgins I'm after, but he may
have changed his name. I'll tell you
what sort Of looking man he is"
She described Skidmore to dot, and
then / saw my way clear. / told every
body to come at certain hour two
days later. and when the hour arrived
there were IA of 'em. There were
landladies, tallors, shoemakers, hatters,
grocers and land knows who else, and
all of 'em had their fists doubled up.
got 'em all in the car at once and scoOt-
ed 'em up to No. 140. 1t was race be-
tween 'em down the hall to see who
should get into Skidmore's room first.
They reached his door in body and
banged 1t open. For ten seconds there
was silence that smelled like n kero-
sene lamp dying out, and then 10 yells
arose on the air. Mr.. Higgins had been
found. If there had been only one
creditor, he might have tried a bluff,
but when IA of 'em rushed in on him
he was knocked out. He might have
jumped out of the window if they
hadn't laid hold of him. They piled on
TO him like so many tons of brick, and
within three minutes he was dusty
wreck. Then they went to scrapping
among themselves, and by the time
could get policeman the whole build
ing was In an uproar. When quiet had
been restored, doctor felt of Mr. Skid
inore's head and arms and legs and
body and said he was not fatally In
5ured, though he wouldn't be able to
play golf for six months to come. Mr.
Rasher, the agent, gave him notice to
quit at once, and by and by he rung
for me to come up. He had his world
ly goods under his arm and was going
far away. AS he got into'the elevator
he looked at me in reproachful way,
and, heaving long Sigh, he said:
SGmmis, this is your work, but
cancot blame you. | gave you cold
bluff" ..- -
"You should have whacked up" l
said.
II know. see when It is too late. |
took you for an easy kid to work, and
the mistake has wrecked my life. How
many were there in the crowd, Sam
mis-"
Fourteen, Sir"
'I thought there were 100! Well it
is all over"
"Haye you any fatherly advice TO
give me" asked.
"Not TO speak Of, Sammis. Just con-
tnuc on in .he way you have begun,
and you'll own the whole building
some day. When the next tenant
moves into No 140, just relate my ex-
perlence to him as sad and solemn
warning against trying to dodge an ell
evator boy" NJ. QUAD.