The Delta independent., 1906-03-02
A Strictly Honest Man

[Copyright 1905. by Mcclure. Phillips & Col
When Joseph Hike inherited the tai
loring business it was with his fathers
dying Injunction: BE honest. Hon
I esty will always win in the end"
One day stranger entered the place
to dispose Of n fine overcoat. Had he
said that he had stolen 1t from pub
lie reading room half an hour before
| he could have made no sale Of 1t. What
lie said was that he was hard up and
wanted to get out of town, and Joseph
Hike offered him one-fifth the value of
the garment to help him along. His
father had helped many man in that
way, and lie proposed to follow In the
same path. His offer was accepted
and the garment left. 1t needed bit
Of repairing, and Joseph sat down to the
work with his own needle. While do
ing his work he discovered package
concealed In the lining, and OH investi-
eating he hauled forth ten new 500
bills.
That seemed a lucky find for Mr..
Hike 1t looked like bread on the wa
ters He had been honest, and here
was his reward. 1t was not all the re-
ward he expected before he got
through business. but 1t would do for
starter. His first thought, as would
have been the case with any young man,
was to walk out and take fiier on the
races and end the day with cham
payne dinner. He had even put on his
coat to do SO when lie paused and said
| to himself:
"No, cannot do 1t. This money Is
not mine. Very likely the man who
sold the coat was simply testing my
honesty. II he did not know the mon-
| ey was there some one else did, and II
would be like stealing to take 1t. will
lay 1t aside and try to find the owner"
Mr.. Hike advertised in daily paper
that he had found certain sum Of
money which the owner could have by
proving property, and SO forth, aud he
thus cleared himself OF the law. He
also wrote out sign and hung 1t up
in his shop. No one appeared to claim
the money, though on several occasions
during the next thirty days Mr.. Hike
took quick skip for the back room
under the impression that u caller was
the man who sold him the coat.
He need not have been alarmed. Tie
seller of the coat had been sent to
prison for year for felonious assault
and was therefore safely out Of the
way.
As to any other owners Of the coat.
they did not seem to have learned Of
their loss, though the weather was un-
usually cold that winter. True. a de-
tective came moseying around tile shop
and described a stolen coat and asked
Mr.. Hike II 1t had been offered for sale.
"Sir, am m honest man." was tie
reply.
"But the coat might have been o3er-
ed here"
ut might hive been, and, now
think Of 1t, believe It was. think
relheaded man who wanted to raise 3
to help bury his mother offered the
coat."
"And you bought it?"
Bought stolen overcoat? How lit
tie you know Joseph Hike. merchant
tailor and honest man! Of course
questioned him sharply. and his sus.
picl0us answers caused me to threaten
his arrest"
"Um!' said the detective as he saun-
tered out.
When the lawyer who bought his
clothes mt the tailor shop and got a
slight discount for legal advice as need
ed told Joseph That he had complied
with the law and that the money was
now his there was no sudden ebulllti0n
Of spirits. MIR. Hike had been thinking
things over and had planned just how
to use the money. There were to be
three or four sales Of goods In his line
at certain date, and when that date
arrived he divided his money with
three men, and the sales were attended
and the money invested. As an honest
man Joseph had laid that money out
to make 1t return three or four fold.
Two days had passed, aud he was
unpacklng and arranging his pur-
chases when an officer entered and ar
rested him. The charge was passing
counterfeit money, and the tailor was
informed that his confederates were
already In quod and had squealed.
But, my dear sir, there Is some mis-
take about this-some dreadful mis-
take. am Joseph Hike"
Fright You are."
Il am merchant tailor and an hon.
est man. My father died only three
months ago, and before lie closed his
eyes he told me never to forget that
honesty was the best policy"
1t was the United States which had
Mr.. Hike and his agents In its claw,
and the United States wanted to know
all about 1t. 1t wanted to know where
the plates and the plant were, and II
was not satisfied until Its officers had
turned the merchant tailor shop wrong
side out In their search for the articles.
| II was mot aatiaf1od oven fhon II