Bisbee daily review., 1908-09-06

kS meanest and smallest minded
AE man have ever met.
Our chief clerk an oddity,
and youngsters made fun Of
him when 6rst entered the Of
nee; but we grew to love him in 3 strange, un-
accountable way. First of all. he seemed 70 be
long to another century; he might have been .
hundred years old. He was small and wizened,
with parchment gray face lined with thou
sand wrinkles; his hair was quite white. and he
wore IT brushed over his ears and parted down
the back Of his head like an old beau. tall,
trsyed collar Of the Gladstone type with rusty
black tie-made by his vife-that remark
ably like an old stock, eyeglSss, long, shiny
frock coat, shabby patent boots, and shepherd
plaid trousers, completed the outward man.
We knew nothing Of ms home life except that
he lived m BriIton and came TO IL. office every
morning by the same bus.
His step could be heard upon the stone stairs
almost to the minute at a quarter to ten. The
fifteen minutes between that and ten o'clock
were spent in careful protection Of his cuffs
BY paper covers, careful brushing Of his
cent hst and perfectly unruffed bsir the sd-
iustment Of his tie with the aid Of cracked
mirror, and the perusal Of any letter that might
come addressed to him at the office.
OF these letters he had rnany-nost Of them
circulars advertising foreign lotteries. Il did
not take newcomer at the Office long TO dis
cover his one little weakness Other men put
money on horses, huttered in mining shares OF
tossed for pennies; bat Mr.. Sax Eambled and
dreamed in lotteries
For thirty years he hsd served Mr. TaIlboys
and his salary hundred and twenty
9 year, figure reached In the long seo hut ne~-
er increased. Perhaps be was not worth more,
Is modern requirements go; but he had served
bis master faithfully in the past, and none q
rF thought of questioning his capabilities
He was methodical, slow, and very solemn.
He could not joke, though often poked
fun at him. When hurt, he showed HE dis
tress and always sorry. for we chaffed
men 70 of his age.
He rarely talked, unless upon the subject Of
lotteries, and he encouraged every Fvindlins
and gambling concern to send him eirculsss. It
r. almost safe to say that there was NOT a lot
terry, good bad, organized on the Continent
which did not come TO his notice in good time
TO enable him to Of 'ths excellent
parcels Of tickets" which. for few francs
few marks, would make the purchaser almost
certain winner of sum OF money large enough
70 keep him in afiuence for the rest Of his life
To him reading these strange illusions
a study. His black rimned eyeglasses would
be rammed in his right eye. his head would wss
solemnly, and his face would hight up with in
SEPARATION. We chsTed him about his craze, and
learned that he regularly expended more than
he could afford in purchasing tickets in the mu-
picipal and state lotteries Of foreign countries.
OF course, argued With him. and explained
BY figures that his chances were preposterousIy
remote: but he would shake his head knowingly
and with funny, wise little smile would an
swer.
Some day-eome day you viii zee. For twin
~ or thirty francs l might win forty thousand
pounds IL the Paris Municipal Lottery. It's
my only weakness. don't drink, I don't smoke
and I'm too old for any other vice"
he admitted that during all his thirty years
Of this strange form Of gambling he had never
won q sou.
One of the circulars fell into the hands Of my
colleague Watts, and be vsntured nv. shlllings.
10! and behold, he won twenty-five francs!
The envy Of poor old Sax was almost pathetic.
He handled the notice announcing the winning
prize as though it printed on silk, or Of a
precious leaf Of gold. After that, he walked
NOR. erect, and the expression his eounte-
.sno. grew more bestifc and sereneIy hopeful,
although his walk grew feebIer every day. Soon
Be, too, would win great sum.
". could see the poor chap breaking rp
dim, and his capacity for actual work was nil.
We divided his laborE between u secretly; but
aeon be began to stop away for day or two at
q time on sick Leave thing unknown during
the thirty years of unbroken service
When he came back 70 the Office the only way
to cheer him 10 talk about lotteries, and
what he would do If he won the forty thousand
pounds pine in the PARIS lottery
What would you do, SAX" We asked ont
day. and after few moments thought he re
piled:
81 should make nv will, for am getting old
I should leave thirty thousand pounds TO my
wife and the other ten thousand I should divide
between you two boys"
At last his absence aroused suspicion In Nj
TslIboys, who dispatched me 70 find 1ut tn
truth about the old man from Mrs. Sax and tn
doctor. The doctors report was that the poo
old fellow could not last many weeks longer
be was simply fading away. Whereupon Nh
TslIboys promptly sacked him. excusing himsel
hy declaring that he had kept him for ten year
longer than any other master would have done
and during the thirty years of service the oil
clerk ought TO have saved up sufficient 70 ALLOW
him to retire in his old age, ike every thrift
man.
Watts and I were furiousy indignant. W
went in the evenings 70 the old fellow an
do what we could for him. We found that tn
ancient couple were almost penniless. Mrs. Sal
proyed 10 be a quaint old-fsshioned little lady
Who once must have been very pretty; AM
their home was 4 model Of old world tidines
aad severity.
Old Sax lay IN his bod fourposter viii
heavy red curtaiH-looking Ike wax figure
but With bis white hair perfeotty brushed o
usual and the little curls brought forward owe
th. ears % 1t the ofScs He taIosd quietly an,
ssdly, regrettins that the sands were runnin
out: for be had hoped 10 have hutter in tn
Hsnburs Autumn Lottery. But the doctor hat
Sel1 him that be must ssoss al szeatsmsnt.