Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-06-09

boss's bank would have to be, and he
left bearing with him the written d.
rection of the contractor to the section
foreman to permit the workmen of the
County bank to make any necessary
excavation in the subway. This gem
teel looking parsonage it cannot be de-
MED, looked extremely like Mr..
Britches Bellman A day later a
rough, honest looking workman, wear
ing q union button and dressed in toll
stained overalls, handed the letter to
the section foreman, together with an
other letter from the bank, stated
casually that he and Sam Parks had
known each other all their respective
lives, borrowed a chew Of tobacco, and
started in to work.
The work he was about to do he had
all planned out on a sheet of rough
drafting paper. 1t was to cut square
hole four by four from the subway in
to the foundation of the bank.
"The bank" he said to the foreman,
saint so much afraid Of going up as ii
is of fallin' down It's pins is weak, or
somethin'."
In five hours the genial Mr.. Bellman
had made himself the most popular
man in the ditch. He talked to every
body, sympathized with everybody,
jollied everybody.
But he was a good workman and he
understood his business. But he in-
sisted upon one thing. Every nigh7
when he left his job he carefully COW
cred up the mouth of the hole he was
making with a pile Of dirt.
Some fellow" he explained to the
foreman, might take notion to fin
ish up my job some night and go clean
through the bank, outside and in" The
foreman expectorated.
"Gee!" said the foreman, that's so
1 never thought Of it." He scratched
his head and grinned.
81 s'pose," he added, that l might
take a hack at 1t myself some night.
What dye Think"
Britches Bellman, honest workman,
shook his head. IF you talk that
way" he said, smiling, "I'll have to set
a plain clothes man on top Of you.
got to take care of that there bank,
and no mistake" He caught the other
by the arm. Say" went on Britches
Bellman, cts blamed good thing you
chaps down here are honest. II you
hfral- of q
banks here on Broadway-you could
tap the whole lot, almost, and nobody
wouldn't know the difference, not I'M
TIL" he added mot until they found
out"
And when they found out?" sug-
gested the foreman.
"There'd be hot time" returned
Hvitches. He scratched his head again.
Now, look a-here," he went on, that
raises a very nice, delicate, important
question in my mind. 1t seems to me
that I'll have to get the bank TO put a
night Waterman down here to set in
front of that there hole. 1t won't do
to have any two-legged rats a-burrow-
in there when I'm away. l naturally
gotter keep the bank protected, be-
cause-because, he added softly, to
himself, I'd like to know, if some chap
got in ahead Of me-"
1t so happened, therefore, that by
permission of the section foreman a
burly night Waterman came on an
hour after Britches left. This nigh'
Waterman had bushy beard. Other
wise he had the same proportions OF
Mr.. Britches Bellman. "In course,
the night Waterman assured himself
"the union wouldn't stand for me
workin' day and night, so gotteI
plaster OF the makeup. And l gottel
watch that hole to see she don't gel
away from me. For when hole gets
away from a man-especially a hole
like this one-it amt no easy job tc
: get another"
Mr.. Bellman had worked only few
days and few nights when he struck
something with his spade that gave
him joy.
! "If this amt a vein of gold bearing