The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-07-27

Tommy had been fond of sparring. He
| hooked his right arm into the big mans
eye and swung his left into his stom-
ach, where, from the big mans build,
he was sure that it would make an i'm
preston.
Then for space of two minutes
things happened swiftly The big man
! was as strong as buffalo, and he un-
doubtedly knew what a boxing glove
was. But also, undoubtedly, he was
good liver, and Tommy hammered his
waist line faithfully. Tommy had also
found the big mans other eye, and his
upper lip, which needed stitch, and
his nose, which called aloud for the at
tention of surgeon. On the other
hand, Tommy's own eye was sealed like
a government envelope.
A respectful le-sized crowd had gath
cred, who evidently appreciated, the
fact that they were getting choice
sample of the fistic art at bargain
price. The three women who had ac-
companied the big man stood where
they could view proceedings, wringing
their hands. Suddenly the one whom
the vandyke-bearded man had accosted
uttered little cry of horror. This dis
tracted the big mans attention for a
fraction of a second, and Tommy
promptly inside-right+countered him
on the jaw and brought him to his
| knees. Then two policemen came up.
"Thith fellow inthulted young
woman in my party" said the big man,
sternly, through his damaged lip.
ooh, Henry!" gasped the young wom-
| an who had been insulted, she is not
the one at all. It was tall man with
beard"
1.-THE man wot spoke to the young
lady cut down that there alley" said
a cabman whose cab stood across the
street. "This young Teller was jis'
comm roun' the corner wen it hap
pened."
The big man regarded the two young
women ironically. Tommy smiled out
of his one eye. and the policeman and
the crowd smiled, too.
"Wil you be so kind as to call cab,
officer?" asked the big man.
Just moment" said the police
man. You assaulted this young man,
didn't you?'
II did," said the big man, tenderly
testing the bony structure of his nose
with his pocket handkerchief
do you want to make complaint ?''
asked the policeman of Tommy.
mot at ALL" said Tommy, with great
geniaity.
Then they called a cab for the big
man and his party, and Tommy went to
his hotel and to bed.
The next morning when Tommy con-
suited mirror his eye resembled a
Turner sunset. He was strongly tempt
ed to go back to Boston on the morn
ing train. Within three hours he was
to apply to stranger for responsible
place, without a sign of recommend
alton and an eye that looked as tn ugh
he had spent the previous night on the
Bowery. Then for the first time Tommy
swore at the big man. But II o'clock
found him at the office of the National
Cold Storage company. The man in
charge smiled specifically when Tommy
told him his business. Then he in
formed Tommy that the president had
been called out of town that day, and
applications would have to be made
on the day following.
Tommy breathed sigh of relief, and
went back to his hotel. The rest Of
that day and night he wore beef
steak poultice over his eye. This was
ben eticial from a medical point of view,
but as tar as appearances went, the
eye was more glaringly impressionistic
the next morning than before. Tommy
felt depressed as he started for the
Colo Storage office. There were four
or five applicants in the outer office,
who looked as though they had been
brought up in self-respecting Chris
tan homes. Tommy sat in one corner
and .glared at anyone he caught look
| ing at his eye. He sat there two hours
before his turn came. Then the clerk
said the president would see him, and
smiled again pessimistically. But by
this time Tommy felt too much like a
social outcast to resent it.
The president sat at a handsome
cherry desk. He was large man, but
he was pale, and looked i'll. His upper
lip was gioriously decorated with
court-plaster. His right eye was COW
cred by patch, and his left eye was
partly closed and of a color scheme
that rivalled Tommy's own. Tommy s
heart slid down into his boots and
tried to get through the floor. The
! next moment he found himself sitting
in chair at the right of the presidents
desk. He sat there and regarded the
presidents inirmities dumbly.
'You are applying for this position %
asked the great man harshly.
Tommy admitted that he was. Rec
concentrations? Tommy explained hol-
lowly about honors in electrical en-
gineering, and the fact of Prof. Chal-
mers and Superintendent Kendall, of
the General Electric, being out of town.
The president snorted. Then he turned
disgustedly to Tommy's eye.
do you drink?" he asked.
mo, sir" said Tommy.
'Fight?"