Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1909-04-22
Johnny Kay
By ROBERT VREELAND

uiu Iol uiStuID johnny IN the least;
that he had roll of greenbacks with
a total valuation of $500 in his trou.
sers' pocket did not trouble him either
Twenty-four hours later was to see
him steaming westward in search for
new field in which to ply his trade
of sign painting, and Johnny Kay was
| very glad to feel that he possessed
$500 of good money with which to set
himself up in business in booming
little western city that he had in
mind
AS Johnny shaded off letter he felt
the staging tremble slightly as some
one put foot on the ladder below;
Johnny looked to see who might be
the intruder.
Hello" said the man who was com
ing over the side of the staging; he
was a siX-foot oneinch man, whom
Johnny had never seen before.
| "Hello!" said Johnny
The six-foot one-inch man stepped
close to Johnny
Got bit of hard cash handy, my
| friend?" he asked
Johnny saw a peculiar CLINT in the
strangers eyes; he noticed further
that the shade of one eye differed very
slightly from that of the other, so
slightly that it was probably not gen
orally noticeable
Thirsty?" asked John, putting
hand to his change pocket for dime
The six-foot one-inch man put out a
strong hand and gripped Johnny's col
| lar.
81 am in need of your roll" he said
briefly.
| Being a decidedly understood speci-
men of humanity, Johnny could not
protest effectively against the grip of
the siX-foot one-inch man, and their
! position on the slender staging for
babe any such protest which he might
| have attempted on terra firma.
81 am in need of greenbacks, and
want your little ROLL said the six-foot
one-inch man.
Johnny felt the hold on his collar
| tighten, then he was lifted from his
footing on the staging and swung out;
his feet wriggled convulsiyely for a
moment and he looked down.
Sixty feet below he saw the brick
pavement cleaning red in the morning
sunlight, and for the first time in his
80 years of living Johnny's stout heart
| quailed. From some seemingly re
mote distance a low voice was com
handing his attention
My friend, | am in need of your lit
tie roll; you are to hand it over and
leave me "a hours before telling your
little story, or
The silence was oppressive Johnny
looked down again. The brick pave
lnent still cleaned red in the sunlight;
and it was full 60 perpendicular feet
below. The mans grip seemed No be
loosening on his collar. Johnny silent
ly reached toward his pocket
You're a little duffer" said the
man as he put Johnny down on the
staging.
Johnny handed over his roll and
spoke briefly. He did not whistle after
the six-foot one-inch man had gone
, still he considered that there might
| have been genuine tragedy and was
comforted
I'm smallsized parcel, but
guess I'm worth $500 to Johnny Kay
And there's another couple of hundred
sailed down where can get hold oil
it,, he said.
: One morning two years later Johnny
Kay was laying gold-leaf on a bic
plate-glass window in the booming lit
tie western city to which he had gone
and set up in business. A crowd stood
outside watching the men at work and
johnny turned to the young man who
was helping him.
, What do YOU feel like, Dick?" he
l asked.
r The young man laughed neryously
/ Like monkey in a glass cage" he
said.
When you've been al it month
you'll feel like great man before the
public laughed Johnny. Then he
: glanced at the faces outside ant
f paused.
e Dick, you keep working, or pretend
e ing to- he said under his breath, and
! with seeming deliberaton. put on hi.
!, coat and Joined the crowd outside Ia
), spoke word to a couple of policemen
: and edged his way to the side of ;
: large man.
Looking your work over?. asked
: big man.
Johnny looked into the mans fac,
and spoke gently.
q I've been looking for YOU he said
Later, at the police station, he TOLD
> his story.
: I've been looking for this man fo
two years. I've looked a good man
crowds over when was doing window
signs in hopes to see this pair of ewes
| amt learned man, your honor. bu
> have notion that about every ma,
} has share of old Adams curiosity
we fellows always draw crowd an,
b had sort of feeling that this ma,
If would come to my window some day
/ He got $4,000 from the FranlSli,
q National the night after he did aero