Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-04-06
A Lad of Ups and Downs.

Eourteen-year-old Patsy was not a
beauty. He had freckles and a pug nose
and a very large mouth. But ne was a
kind-hearted. faithful lad, and certainly
earned his SO week-every cent of it.
He ran an elevator in certain dry
goods store in n certain large city. 1t
was slow moving, stately elevator
quite in accord with the respectable air
of this Old-esta blished place. From the
opening hour to the time of closing none
of the employees were allowed TO ride in
this elevator, and as there were several
tioors TO the building many of the clerks
were obliged to climb several flights of
stairs at lunch time.
With a boys healthy contempt for
stairs, Patsy had been inclined TO ieer
at the employees when they grumbled at
the climb but when he came to know
Marguerite it was different.
Marguerite was Il little cash girl, and
why she had been burdened with that
four-syllable name it would be hard tC
say Patsy himself thought Violet
would have suited her we'll; she was
such "A small, frail. demure little piece.
Something was wrong with her spine,
the doctor had once told her mother.
There was look in her eyes like that of
n startled deer-a look which never left
them-and there were drawn lines about
her mouth that one should not find in
young girl.
Patsy's warm Irish heart went out to
her from the first, and often, when he
caught glimpse of ner as she painfully
climbed the stairs that wound around the
Elevator shaft, or heard an overworked
suop girl scold the tiny creature for being
slow, he would grind his teeth and give
the rope such savage tug rs to make
nervous old ladies gasp with fright.
One day, as Patsy was slowly moving
up to the second floor, he saw Marguerite
81 IL,
flight of stairs, and as he looked he saw
her sit down on step TO rest and wipe
tears of pain from her eyes.
That was too much for Patsy.
How fur up be yer's goin', kiddie?" he
called out softly.
Ter tn sixth floor moaned the girl.
Patsy gave sideong glance AT the sol
itary passenger. a quietly-dressed man.
Come on. Git aboard at the second
! floor. I'll carry yer'S up
| But it's agin the rules, an you might
get fred" said the girl.
You do as I'm tellin' yer!" retorted
| Patsy, with that note of maSterfulness
| which even little men will assume toward
| little women.
At the second landing Patsy opened
the wire-screened door and called out,
Coin up in his official voice, but no
one responded except Marguerite. who
slipped in and hid in the corner behind
dtSN Adt young man SldHCtu dpife-
henSiVely at the other passenger. but he
seemed TO be studying his well-trimmed
| tinGernaiiS.
Their a dreadful thing happened As
Patsy's head came up above the level of
the third floor he heheld no less per
son than the loorwalker Of the house
furnishing department.. waiting to he
taken up. This bald-headed much-muS.
tached gentleman was commonly called
the Car because of his tyrannical
treatment of all those under him. Moth
ing delighted him SO much as 10 catch
one of the employees breaking rule; and
his hluster aud blow as he issued orders
to the poor, miserable little cash girls
would have done credit to general Is
suing commands to his soldicry. Patsy's
heart almost stood still, but the eleva-
tor did not.
Coin up" snapped out the mighty
tloorwalker, rappiug ON the door with
an impatient knuckle.
At the sound Of that dread voice poor
Marguerite almost sank To the floor OF
the car with fright The other pas<cn-
ger took sudden step forward. and then
stopped and watched Patsy.
That youth, his body Stiffened, his face