The Washington weekly post., 1900-03-27
The ELEVATOR BOY.
A Few Of His adventures as Related By
Himself.

A Few Of His Adventures as Related By
Himself.
A Few weeks ago. when Mr. ROCkaway.
| the kodak agent. moved into room 6S. ne
TOOK an early opportunity 70 say 70 me:
| Sammis rhere are owners Of sky
scrapers. and there are agents and jani-
tors of skyscrapers. but the elevator boy
Is the real boss
Yes. sir; ne is humbly replied
| IF he stands in with the tenant. that
| tenant is all right: II ne don't stand in.
then the tenant might as well hunt for
another office. / want to stand in with
| yoG. Sammis"
"Yes. sir"
| You are a widows son Here's half
a dollar 10 cheer your mothers lonely
/ heart. You are trying to pay of the 81
/ gantic mortgage left on the estate by
/ your father. Here's another half TO as
sist you. This is simply preparatory.
/ Sammis Quarters and halves and doll
lars will shink and rattle around here and
| pass from me 10 you with astonishing
1 frequency. All you've got TO DO IS to look
out for my interests"
Yes, sir"
should a woman call here, Sammis-an
OiG.sh, woman. with red hair and sharp
/ nose and voice like a file-
| "You are out, Of course. She's the wo-
man who wants contributions for the
heathen, and you don't want TO be both
| cred"
Exactly. Sammis, And you are jew
elr' he said as he patted NE on the head.
II am always to be out when she calls.
| You are to discourage her from calling
| again. You may even hint that / have
removed to Chicago or St Louis | see
you closely scrutinizing my side whiskers.
Sammis. Don't you like the color?
"Yes, sir. but they are false"
| "Ah. Sammis, another quarter for the
gigantic mortgage. It's a little notion OF
/ mine to wear false whiskers for a few
weeks. and nothing need be said about IL.
| What we know, we know, but We keep
mum about IT, You trust me; trust yoG.
VIII make that mortgage look sick I'm a
month or two. TIA, Ia, Sammis! l think
we understand each other
| l thought so. to, and II was all right
| for two or three weeks. Mr.. Rockaway
didn't come down with any more halves.
| but l didn't lay that up against him. It
was what ne said and did that hurt my
| feelings. One day at the fourth floor a
| lawyers boy called me a sawed off liar.
| | stopped the elevator TO punch his head
and thus was late getting up 70 answer
| call from Mr.. Rockaway. He was mad
about it, and. taking me by the ear. he
| said:
You trifling young monkey, but IN
have no more Of thisl I've good mind TO
report you TO the agent and have you
bounced! What do you mean by such con-
ductr .as..
I'm sorry, sir"
THAT makes no difference. From this
time out / shall have an eye on you, and
you'll either walk chalk or get the bounce
Do you hear me?'
The iron struck home From that hour
| / waited and lOnged for a red-headed.
sharp-nosed woman TO appear Luck was
| with me. On the afternoon of the fifth
day she walked in and made straight for
me. and said:
"Bub, I'm looking for a man named
Rockaway. I'm his wife"
Have you got business with him?" I
asked
II have-strict business. Is there such
a man in this buildlng?'
There is Mr.. Rockaway here. but he's
| got side whiskers."
'Oh, he has! Well. I'll pull 'em off in
three seconds! Take me right up"
took her up. I am not bad elevator boy
| at heart, but a boy In my position has got
| 10 MS among INe tenants.
/ held the elevator until | saw her enter
room eS and heard the first shock OF col
| lision, and then / had business elsewhere
What happened after that was told by
the typewriter In Mr.. Rockaway's Office
When the redheaded woman bounced into
the room she first attacked those beautiful
side whiskers. and they were wrecked in
breath. Then she started in to wreck
things. and her language was English and
her tones loud She had the whole floor
alarmed in two minutes, and the people
who rushed In found the typewriter girl
hiding under the desk and Mr. RoCkaWay
on the floor and mixed up with broken
furniture. Ii was lively while Il lasted
and the red-headed woman had breath
enough left to explain that the man on his
back was her lawful husband. but had
run away form her in Buffalo year Be
fore. He had nothing to say In reply, and
when the agent came up and told him
that he had better look for other quarters
he prepared to move. l didn't see him ua-
til the remains of his Office furniture had
been sent away. Then he rang for me to
take him down. He had not resumed his
side whiskers. There were scratches ali
over his face and neck, lump on his iaw.
and the wildness yet fingered In his eyes.
| expected he would threaten or reproach
me, but he didn't feel al all that way On
the contrary, there was a sadness In his
voice and genteness In his hand az he
reached out for a farewell shake aad
said:
''Sammis, / cannot blame you. / began
right, but / did not carry out the pro-
gramme. / started in TO be father -
you and 10 help lift that gigantic mort
gage, but later on / decided that bluff
would be the game to work. You saw
my bluff and went one better. 1t was
you VINO brought her up"
Yes, sir"
And you gave my side whiskers away?''
Yes, sir"
well. II was my own fault. Office
gone. whiskers gone, typewriter gone, and
the red-headed woman camped On my
trail. ] am financially ruined Sammis,
and can't say that have even saved my
hCEor. However, here's my hand, and
bear you no III Will. II / die, | shall for
give you; II j live on, It will be d great
moral Lesson 10 me"
That afternoon Mr.. Rasher. the agent,
called me into his Office and said:
"Sammis, has your wounded dignity
been healed?"
Yes. SIR"
Then don't take ony more red-headed
women Up In the elevator. Such little ar
fairs as that IN room s. causes gossip and
hurts cur business"
Just al present our building Is as quiet
as graveyard. and ! hope Il may long
remain 20. Something may bob up at any
moment, however. but II IL does II Will
not BE- the fault Of SAMMI5
The Elevator Boy.
tcoDyTgkr 1850 b. C. o. LsslaJ
Women Of the Bible.
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