Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-05-10
Icopyright, 1900, By c. B. Lewis

He Made an Awful Mistake-The
Boy's Story of His Revenge.
Copyright 1900. by c. B. Lewisl
A few weeks ago, when Mr. Rocka-
way the kodak agent, moved into room
6S, he took an early opportunity to say
to me:
"Sammis, there are owners of sky
scrapers, and there are agents and jan
itors of skyscrapers, but the elevator
boy is the real boss"
Eyes, sir; he is,' / humbly replied.
''If he stands in with the tenant, that
tenant is all right: if he don't stand in,
then the tenant might as well hunt for
another office. | want to stand in with
you, Sammis."
''Yes, sir. .
@You are a widows son. Here's half
a dollar to cheer your mothers lonely
heart. You are trying to pay off the
gigantic 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 dol
lars will chink and rattle around here
and pass from me to you with aston
ishing frequency. All you've got to do
is to look out for my interests,
Eyes, sir"
"Should woman call here, Sammis
-an oldish woman, with red hair and a
sharp nose and voice like a filev-
"You are out, of course She's the
woman who wants contributions for
the heather. and you don't want to be
bothered"
Exactly, Sammis. And you are a
jewelT' he said as he patted me on the
head. Il 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 little no
ton of mine to wear false whiskers for
a few weeks, and nothing need be said
about it. What we know we know, but
we keep mum about it. You trust me;
trust you. Wen make that mortgage
look sick in month or two. TIA, ia,
Sammis! l think we understand each
other"
| thought so, too, and it 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 he said and
did that hurt my feelings. One day at
the fourth floor lawyers boy called
me sawed off liar. stopped the ele-
vator to punch his head and thus was
late getting up to answer a call from
Mr.. Rockaway. He was mad about it,
and, taking me by the ear, he said:
''You trifing young monkey, but I'll
have no more of thisi I've good mind
to report you to the agent and have you
bouncedi What do you mean by such
conductY
"ym sorry, SIR
"That makes no difference. From
this time out l shall have an eye on
you, and you'll either walk chalk or
get the bounce. Do you hear me?7
The iron struck home. From that
hour l 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 man named
Rockaway. I'm his wife,"
"Have you got business with him?"
asked.
81 have strict business. Is there
such man in this building?"
'"There is Mr. Rockaway here, but
he's got side whiskers."
"Oh, he has! Well, I'll pull EN- off in
three seconds! Take me right up"
l took her up. | am not bad eleva-
tor boy at heart, but boy in my posi-
ton has got to maintain his dignity
among the tenants | held the elevator
until l saw her enter room 6S and
heard the first shock of collision. and
then l 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 I'M
der the desk and Mr.. Roekaway on the
floor and mixed up with broken furni-
ture. 1t was lively while 1t lasted, and
enough left to explain that the man on
his back was her lawful husband, but
had run away from her in Buffalo a
ear before He had nothing to say in
reply, and when the agent came up and
told him that he had better look for
nthar quarters he prenared to move
/ didn't see him until 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 all over his face
and neck, lump on his jaw, and the
wildness yet fingered in his eyes. | ex-
pected he would threaten or reproach
me, but he didn't feel at all that way.
On the contrary, there was sadness in
his voice and gentleness in his hand as
he reached out for a farewell shake
and said:
"Sammis, / cannot blame you. | be-
gan right, but | did not carry out the
programme l started in to be father
to you and to help lift that gigantic
mortgage, but later on | decided that
bluff would be the game to work. You
saw my bluff and went one better. 1t
was you who brought her up?"
"Yes, sir"
'And you gave my side whiskers
away?"
Eyes, SIR"
"Well, it was my own fault. Office
gone, whiskers gone, typewriter gone
and the redheaded woman camped on
my trail. am financially ruined, Sam
mis-, and can't say that l have even
saved my honor. However, here's my