The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-12-23

| / pOShClo
Eo- me-" said Henry Topping,
ll!sU l9lI the Southwestern manager
5f a big packing house, Judge Sidener,
Of st. Louis. may be right theoretically,
but it's against the rules in my house
and my wife knows it and abides by
the unwritten law. I don't deny, mind
YOU. that what's mine is hers and
what's hers is mine, but have es-
tablished and enforced set of rules
which precludes the promiscuous ana
haphazard appropriation OF moneys
that may, from time to time, lie un!n'
vested in my clothing.
II never deny my wife anything in
reason, and as she is very reason
able woman my generosity in this
regard has never been abused. One
night last winter ! carried home about
$50 intended for the payment of house
hold expenses coming due Saturday.
1t was Friday, and I drew the money
then because / always make it a point
not to get into the Saturday rush at
banks. She didn't need any Of it till
Saturday night, and didn't hand it to
her for the good and sufficient reason
that l expected to go to the Saturday
ball game and spend a few on my
own account. Saturday morning | got
downtown in a hurry, but when
walked up the street toward my office
the bookkeeper was standing i'll the
doorway, all in a futter. He told me
that he had just received a telegram
from our Chicago headquarters in
structing me to go at once to Topeka
to attach a shaky customer who was
said to be getting ready to make al
assignment.
"rhere was yet about ten minutes
left to catch the train, and as the GUS
toner in question owed my office con-
siderably more than $4,000 it was emf
nently important that l land on him
as quickly as possible. The bookkeeper
had the account all made out and
handed it to ME. I held my hand on
the pocket in which supposed the $50
was safely slowed and ran all the way
to the depot, arriving just in time to
do a fiying-trapeze leap for the end car
as it started away from the platform.
II was sitting in the smoker, all out
of breath. when the conductor, evident
" a new man, as had never seen him
before. came in and cried Tickets! l
made plunge for my pocketbook, and,
"a f0Dn6
empty. / searched every pocket and
repeated the performance backward
before the conductor got to me, but l
had only ten cents, my pocket knife
and few worthless papers. Wifey
had beaten nc to the roll.
Tickets. please" said the conduc-
tor. l looked at him q moment and
saw that he was indeed new full OF
zeal and technical asperi.y Of his au-
thority, and expecting trouble. I asked
him to sit down and began to explain.
But be looked annoyed, and said he'd
be back in minute When he came
back he wouldn't sit down, but re-
mained standing. his cold, gray eye
fixed upon me as tried to grow elo-
ouent. l explained the suddenneSs OF
my summons and the Importance OF
nv business at Topeka, but it didn't
evoke the slightest fash of interest.
Cant help that he said at last.
That's your business. My business is
to collect S634 unless you have q pass
or ticket
II began to call him old man then.
and expatiated upon the vast volume
of business which my firm gave annu-
ally to his road. 1 said that I would
make it all right with him. besides
paving the full fare on the next trip
but he didn't enthuse over the pros
pect bit.
THAT may all be So he said, with
slow and sad precision. but instruc'
tions are Instructions I'm not allowed
to let anybody ride free. and you mus:
pay or get off the train
"I knew by the calm, stern way he
! said it that it was up to me, so plead
| ed with him to give me time to look
| through the train. Surely would find
| somebody who knew me and who
would advance me small loan. Al
right. He would agree to that.
went through that train like ferre'
after rats. even peeped into sleep
ing berths in the Pullman and narrow
Iy escaped friction with some sensi
tive passengers for whom ! had NJ
time for explanation. There wasn't
soul on the train whom l knew o.
who showed any evidence of recogni
ton for NE. went back to the stoica
conductor and implored him to wal
till we got to Usage, the next sta
ton. l endeavored to impress upo1
his mind the fact that I was wei
| known all over Texas. Oklahoma ant
Kansas and that the chances were al
in favor of my meeting with some
bodv who knew me and would advane
the money. -.
Il saw him size me up. and L wa
| aware Of the suspicious little tWinkl
in his eye, but my fate was in III
hands. and 1 knew it.
"I'n give you till Arkansas City
he said, and that's all. If you don
nav You'll have to get of there
81 was never in such an awkWar'