Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1906-07-26

"how many have you broken 30 far2
Did you take the trouble to count
them ?"
There's one"
"One !" roared the employer.
"And at that you've told me one too
many. / think I'd like to see that
one.
ut isn't really broken yet," Mr..
White explained, "but it's started, /
think, and I'll have it done before
long.
"And do you think I'll pay you a
dollar day for nearly breaking one
she'll ?"
Il thought" sul Mr.. White, that
you would pay me. perhaps. by the
piece-so much for each one"
"a dollar piece ?" jeered McNich.
ol. "Or would you bs content with
fifty cents ?"
Fifty cents, perhaps" said Mr..
White, gently.
His employer shot at him glance
Of quick suspicion but was as quickly
reassured. The fus sensitiveness in
the mans face and the tired. worn
lines about his eyes spelled business
incompetence in capital letters.
"Its worth ten cents at the very
outside. Suppose you break one
day, how will you liver Do you look
to steal enough to make up the rest p
Mr.. White did not answer that
question in words, but for some reason
McNichol looked down suddenly at
his desk again, DULY red about the
ear.
"Well," he clustered, "ten cents
apiece is the figure for all You can
break in the next twenty.four hours.
l cant have you hanging about here
longer than that.
"It's bargain said Mr.. White.
The phrase was not like him. II
sounded like something he had been
cautioned to say. Also there lurked
something like twinkle in his tired
eye.
Suspicion kindled again in Nc
Nichols face, and with heavy frown |
he eyed his employe all the way to
the door. If he had not been exceed.
ingly busy and a little afraid Of max.
ing himself ridiculous he woald have
followed him in person.
McNichol was, according to his
lights, good man. In his business
dealings he considered himself immac.
ulate, and if literal fidelity to his
spoken or written word is the whole
duty of the business man, he was quite
right about it.
The phrase, LISA bargain" bound
him as absolutely as contract, signed
and sealed, could have done. He was
committed to pay Mr.. White ten
cents apiece for as many shells as he
could break before tomorrow noon.
He disliked to be committed TO any
thing at all save after the most mature
deliberation. However, he was very |
busy, and in few minutes he had
forgotten all about it.
Mr.. White did not go directly back
to work on leaving the Office. He
had a quarter in his pocket-an un-
secured loan from the blacksmith
and he took il to a small eating house
near by, where it was regarded as the
equivalent Of square meal"-soup.
meat, vegetables and pie, all complete.
1t was a deliciously hot little room
and it smelled Of such comfortable
vainds as fried pork chops and cab.
bage. When Mr.. White came out he
look ed a new man.
Thus fortified be attacked the heap
Of shells again, not this time with the
sledge. He was applying the smiths
suggestion to go at them from the In
side. One at time he carried them
to the hydrant, filed them, then
ranged them shoulder TO shoulder,
carefully right side up, with military
precision, in ranks of ten and COM
panies of a hundred-314 spherical
iron shells.
1t was hard work for him the lsrg-
est of them when full of water were
quite all he could lift, and the cold
added TO his difficulties. But he was
unconscious of fatigue. and his only |
anxiety about the cold was lest il
should not last long enough.
The work went slowly. and it was
perhaps an hour after quitting time