Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-01-21
NUMBER 3.

major was honest in his crankery.
Somehow the majors enthusiasm rang
false to him. Under and behind the
flow of words he saw something In the
unctuous lips, the beady, twinkling
eyes, which made him suspect that the
ma jor like other self deluded mortals,
was more anxious to pose as q great
moral force than to rule strictly his
own appetites.
Indeed. as Dan Brown put 1t, "the
cut Of the majors jib gave him away
for a blamed old hypocrite." Dan
Brown was Jink's chum, the head man
at the new electric light plant, which
Travis & Son had done so much to get
installed. OF course, their own store
was the very first to be wired and
lighted. All the first week afterward
.Jink himself did nothing much but
march around with swarming rural
customers and flash lights into every
dark hole and corner from the third
story to the cellar. In the flashing he
Incidentally made them sure there was
no danger of getting stroke Of light.
ming. Otherwise trade might have suf-
fered.
81 say this yere projick, 1t Jest
knocks the socks off'n anything ever
saw" Squire Crane said as Jink
made the cellar dark or light by the
mere turning of button. Afterward
he explained that the cellar would be
always light. Then everybody smiled.
That meant something to Travis Gus
toners. Ever since the store opened
there had been a barrel Of the best
whisky conveniently remote from gen.
eral view. but free to whoever chose
to 90 and take a drink. 1t was, OF
course, q point Of honor not to drink
unless you were pretty good GUS
tomer. Major Borum was n pretty
good customer, in spite Of social COM
plications. but nobody ever suspected
him of even knowing whore the bar
rel stood.
1t lay bung up. with the thief hang
Ing upon a handy nail in the wall
foot away. The thief, understand. was
only an innocent tin tube, open at both
ends and slender enough to slip easily
through the bunghole. In use 1t was
thrust down into the liquor, open end
ed. Then finger held close over the
upper end made it fetch out enough
liquor for Il drink, stiff or mild accord
ing to the depth Of the plunge. by
way Of keeping the thief in place lit
tie ring had been soldered on to the up
per end, long wire twisted In the
ring and likewise made fast to the nail
In the wall. Careless drinkers might
otherwise have dropped the invaluable
tube or absentminded ones, after the
third drink, have gone off with 1t In the
pocket.
Throughout the summer Major Bo-
rum came into the store only when he
had business, but as the days grew
short and nipping he fell into way of
sitting into the group around the stove,
listening when he had to-that was
rather seldom-and talking when he
could-that was most Of the time.
Toward Christmas the majo haunted
the store more than ever, especially
late in the day when there was al
ways plenty Of trade. He had got 80
familiar he went everywhere, up stairs
or down, without exciting comment.
Some few said he was smmerlng down.
They rcckoned IL would be all right be-
twixt Jink and Molly by-well, say,
next spring; but Jink and Molly knew
better. Indeed they had almost lost
hope when Dan Brown came to their
help.
The lights had been working badly,
so Dan chased down into the cellar
about dusk one night to look after the
switchboard In minute lie came up,
his eyes staring like saucers, beckoned
link to him and plunged again below.
Nobody saw any more Of them that
night. They worked in the cellar until
near Il o'clock and went home chuc-
Killing aloud.
All next day Jink moved like man
in a dream, waiting upon customers
with his head half turned over his
shoulder. 1t was q busy day, Satur-
day. and the world and his wife were
In town. About noon, when the crush
was greatest, everybody was startled
by a succession OF yells, unearth'
ly, agonizing. coming up, 1t seemed,
from right under their feet. Three
-
parts of the hearers dashed into the
street, two women tainted, ana olu
lady Buckley snatched up her basket
of eggs, crying out that she "allus
knew somp'n' was bound ter happen
ter that store ever sence they took an
made candles outen the Lord A'migh-
tvs own thunder" But half dozen
rushed below, where the screams still
kept up. intermingled now with roars
of strenuous laughter.
There was more laughing when they
saw the whole thing-Major Borum,
their in hand, bowling, hopping from
one foot to the other, unable to let go
and between howls swearing Ike
pirate ut Dan Brown, who stood with
his hand upon an innocent looking key
newly set in the switchboard.
Dan was saying between gasps:
you've got to agree, major Let
Jink have Molly or here you stay all
day. You can't let go that thief. It's
got a full lamp voltage. We fixed
1t, Jink and |, as soon rs ever l caught
you taking n drink on the sly"
"No, no, Dan. can't let you perse-
cute Molly's uncle" Jink said. reach
Ing for the key I'm awfully obliged
to you, though, for watching here" he
went on. You know" to those be-
hind him, 1--WE could not afford to turn
on the current--until we were sure or
our man."
81 sorter reckon you've made sure OF
your GAL" old man Buckley said as the
crestfallen major vanished up the stair.
Sure enough, it turned out that Jink
had.
Origin Of Our Secret Service.
The United States secret service had
its origin I'm the early sixties under the
auspices Of the war department. 1t ac-