The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1904-06-09

M NDRBW HANSEN spent a
ZSN hour figuring at desk In tn
outdde once Of the Astori
CRESCENT Cannery. His heavy brow
were drawn over his gray eyes. an,
under an unkempt beard his moutl
worked uneadly. When he nnished
ne sTode over to the cashier "Yo,
eneat meF he cried. thickly. by Jee
you cheat me twenty dollarr'
Nonsense. Andrew" said the cash
ser; you're on. Your account IL jus,
aghU-thres dollars and six bits due
you Not Z cent more. Our books
don't lie"
The alderman hitched up his trou-
sers. and his voice fell two notes. you
cheat me-" he muttered. doggedly. Il
bring In two hundred pound more fab
Its down in my book. SeeT
The young fellow who had charge
q the nsh delivery books received GIN
gerry the greasy pages thrust in at
him. and rapidly compared the entries
there with those In his ledger. Every
now and then he 1otted a number on
. pad Of blank paper before him. and
when be had run through all the pages
Of the fsh book he added together his
1otttngs, and looked up with weary
smile. You're wrong. Andrew" he
aid See hero. where you've gone
OF your reckoning. This entry calls
for only twenty pounds Of nsh. and
you've read 1T two hundred This here
= forty i've pounds Of steelhead, and
you've made 1t salmon- You better be
careful how you say we cheat you
You arc trying to do some cheating
vourself with a darned blunt pencil
Take your book and clear out"
The heavy-eyed captain of boat No.
- loosed his neckerchief and pulled
again at bis trousers- You cheat mer'
- yelled. shrilly. ''Ole, he put him
down that way. and know how much |
nsh bring In don't charge him In
ehe book You cheat mer'
A rough order to clear out was the |
only response, and Andrew blew Ike
. porpoise- Then his clumsy tongue
gathered articulateness, and he called |
DOWN the curse Of God upon the As
torfa Crescent. with special reference
- the white-faced cashier and Ole,
The weigher. His strident tones re-
sounded In the building. and present
y the manager Of the cannery came
from bis private Office to see what the
matter waA Andrew turned to him
With q CRY for justice
But your account. 70 AL straight"
aid the manager. after 4 quick glance
1t the book the fisherman held out to
him. What the devil do you mean
By making such a fuss?" I,
But Ole make the wrong number 1
Andrew expostulated He put down
twenty pound Of fish on your book
vhen have two hundred on mine He I
heat mer'
III you make any more bowl" said r
~ manager. roughly. III seize your :
,oat You owe u q hundred on last b
Ieason."
There was 4 deep silence. while the s
lugs fellow shambled back a. II to II
;ather himself for q blow. Then in O
ONE way he realized his helplessness p
nd strove to subdue his voice 1t Fl
int right" he mbled Il owe you s,
o-tnG l pay him all oop. Ole make la
vrons number. You can't take my it
oat-~
Possibly the manager Of the cannery tt
~ doubtful Of his own position, or 70
- he was melted BY q charitable je
ought Of Andrews wife and small &c
lby. He pulled a gold piece from his be
'cket and flung 1t at the fisherman. "a
lake this. Andrew. and don't let me So
NJ any more of your nonsense. ga
hats 4 brand-new ten-dollar piece, ar
ID I'll bet you spend 1t In a saloon. is
d curse me over your glass. Now tn
Dar outr'
Hansen looked at the money In his to
Housed palm. and then at the re- ur
lating form Of the manager. Clear gr
IT, said the clerk. "or wen throw bl
. out you darned beggarr fr,
Ma Hansen wept when her hus- of
nd told her curtly that she was to of
W NO now dress. When he refused tn
buy . baby carriage for the first H,
m. thers was deep gloom in the tel
tie house tucked up under the hill sh
owe the gas works. But Andrew hi
not explain. though he gased a tn
y time at the white-haired son, tn.
,oss legs were sure. according to his thu
,th2r. to be bent like the slaves of fre
Dab barrel did he have no carriage 1t
ride In wi
rwo DAYS latsr Andrew maid ofr nj. Gil
lt-puller. 1t took all the money to
credit At the cannery. Then be Hs
Mt out to the racks on which his in
was hung. and worked there for a tic
* Later. he drew his boat out on be
beach. and scraped and cleaned ing
through without painting strake. vii
I'm that time till September 10th he gill
on the wabbling wharf over the fire
\ and figured In his smeary fish Ast
4. and seemed to be nursing some tall
1T sorrow, 70 that his acquaint- we
- nodded their heads. and said har
b many oaths that Andrew was an tur,
and was spending his sea- a
3 wages In sullen drinking. he
at when he quietly put his net In fatl
~ on the 10th. and started out the
nshing." the mods Of head lum
sged to open-mouthed asronish- out
{ For Andrew was forehanded in saw
nv. and enjoyed the reputation of q
IN enough. even in q poor sum- heir
I - avotd the necessity for drift tile
~ TIE Shiny salmon that sntsr the
1o1umhia In the later monthA war
11oA4 Of nix cents. Dab now COM the
~ enly ens csnt at the csnnery all ,
= ~ Andrsw srsw gaunt and dsxt
4 oeeore September was out jack
~ - heeusht II two hundrSs Ano,