Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1908-12-24
A FELLOW
FE Z IL N G
VIII Wexford VIII Keep nobhs' StuY Secret

came out OF his house next door and
leaned over the fence.
How do you do this morning, Mr..
Dobbs7"
Mr.. Dobbs ceased operations and
looked up through a cloud of white
dust. Not very we'll" he said. I've
lost four pounds. Now I weigh only
1877"
PITY about you" shifted Mr.. We'll
ford. You ought to have a tonic"
Il know It," the emaciated man re-
piled.
You ought not to work so hard"
You're right" Mr. .Dobbs asseated.
Shorter hours"
yep"
And more pay"
Now you're making fun Of me. It's
no laughing matter" Mr.. Dobbs was
getting nettled and he wiped bead OF
Precipitation from his brow.
"'Pon my honor, I'm not" denied
Mr.. Wexford.
''Oh, put 1t on some sounder basis"
said Mr.. Dobbs, seeing chance to get
back at his neighbor.
"A prophet is not without honor,
save to the man who lives next door,"
Mr.. Wexford paraphrased. knowing
full we'll that Mr.. Dobbs would not be
able to perceive the liberties which he
had taken with the verse, nor the rich
sarcasm Of the remark, but feeling,
nevertheless, that he had scored q
point.
Depends some 'on the prophet" an
swored Mr.. Dobbs, in vaguely refec-
tive manner. IF you knew all my
feelings"
I'D write book that would be one
OF the six best sellers"
81 say, If you knew all my feelings,
than you do" Mr. Dobbs was be-
coming interpretive.
Tell me some OF them, and see
what effect it will have on me-" en-
couraged Mr.. Wexford.
So in the confidential manner Of one
who lays bare his innermost heart MT
Dobbs began:
We'll, I'm rather suspicious OF peo
pie. i have always made it a boast
that 4 have never been swindled, had
my pocket picked, or been robbed In
any way. I've never had much sym
pathy with these people who get swim
died by green-goods men, because it's
only dishonest people that get swim
died" .,...t ...
by ereen4goods men," Mr. Wexford
ifnterjected.
Yea. of course, that's what
mean. Now, look here, Wexford, al
this In confidential. i wouldn't have
my wife know this for anything"
u won't tell a SOUL"
well. this is how lit was. wal
In the city last week. and as was
walking across "a street cauGh
sight of q ten,dollar bill hutterini
along Just a few feet in front Of me
or course, ] was not going to let tina
slip by me II could help 1T, so mad
a dive for It, A rather poorly dressed
cuss spied 1t as 4 was about to reacl
to pick 1t up, and the result was tina
we stopped for 1t together. There wa
no doubt about the money being mine
because I had seen 1t FIRST, but / fel
sorry for the man. He looked col,
and the wind was sweeping across tn
square pretty freely, SO i said to him
See here, this is mine by rights, bu
I'll let you have half Of It, He grum
bled bit, but tished n fiver out O
my pocket, gave 1T to him and proceed
ed down Broad street"
He waited a moment to allow MI
Wexford to speak word. but Mr.. We
ford kept silent, so MI Dobbs Col
tinued:
II kept on until came to a ciga
store, where ! stopped to get pac
of cigarettes didn't have an
change, so / gave the clerk the bill
had picked up. He looked at 1t an
handed it back to me, saying 1t was
counterfeit He asked me where
got 1t, and when l told him he sal
the same game had been worked o
one of his friends"
Mr., Dobbs again paused, and thi
time Mr.. Wexford spoke:
'Dobbs. old man." he said. I'm nc
likely to tell your wife, or anybod
else about that. had the same o.
perience myself"
When Fallen Leaves Cease to Dane'