The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1910-03-27
By ELLIS PARKER BUTLER

''Twould do no good T. have wee bit OF It," said
Casey sadly I'VE would be all sold out of II before
TIL middle of tn day. fTwould take -ons of It, tn peo
pie would be crazy to get It IT'S use thinldn
of it Let 1t go!"
Seems Ike pity not to mako money when thore
is chanst to-" said Old Billings, nervousy. might.
n't-mIghtn't I make some confetti. Mr.. Casey?"
AN listen to that, now!" exclaimed Casey, 10y.
fully Sure, 1t takes you think OF things, Mr.
Billlngs no! he said, dropping into sadness as
suddenly he had been reused to joy, "tis not he
thought Of Ye would get tired before tn Job was
half done. Mr. Billings. 1t takes lot O. confotu t.
make enough for carnival. an too little Is worse
than none at all. Ye would tire out before ye made
enough. Mr. Billings Letrit go!"
II wouldn't tire out" said Old Billings. eagerly.
Maxim confetti amt no harder than sawin' wood,
Is it?' / used be hne wood-sawer when was
young. hadn't my beat at sawin' wood them days.
He waited restlessly for Casey's reply, and Casey
sat rubbing and apparently thinking deeply.
IF thought yc could stick to th job" he said
at length.
I'D stok!" said Old Billings IT swan I'd stick
Dog If I wouldn't! What-what might this hero
confetti be iilke?" -.
when yere hayn' a carnival ye throw 1t at each other
TIL an streets Is full OF It That's tn beauty of
hayln tho monopoly OF til confetti business, Mr..
Billings Ye can make 1t OF nawthln' more expensive
than old waste paper an tn profit is all profit Tis
a grand business for tn likes OF u.s."
Il can tear up paper we'll as another man." be-
gan Old Billings. but Casey stopped him,
Tear it," he exclaimed. AN who over heard OF
torn-up confetti? 'Twould be agin tn law, Nr. Bill
Iipgs. Would tn law be allowin ye t. throw around
torn paper with th sharp corners OF 1t gettn' into
everybodys eye. an mcbby putin out a hundred
eyes so7 No. indeed! 'Tis round tn confetti has
to be; each confetti big around tn blunt end
OF lead pencil 'Twould never do T. tear It; idToud
have t be cut"
And what would cut It with7" asked Old BIZ.
ungs.
Scissors" said Casey. .But twould be no ex.
pense. for we have two pair In tn Times Office, an
could sneak ye one pair when Davis wasn't lookin
n hay nna lnDC vpprk air nf OH
with. Mr. Billipgsl"
Old Billings worked his rheumatic fingers open and
shut, and looked at them with moro pride than he
had ever imagined they could give him.
Il could cut out lot OF confetti. II 80 be had
time enough and paper" he said wIstfully. IT wsht
you'd let me try 1t, Mr.. Casey"
IF was t git room for factory, now" said
Casey. meditatiNely u might git ahold Of some young
[eer that would be Tiln' { so into tn factory an
stay till had enough confetti. 4 wouldn't want
word of what was doin to get out till had enough
confetti made to do for th' whole carnival An
young feller could lock in an hand him In his
meals. Twoud be fne Job for some young foller.
nohin' to do but cit easy all day an shear out con-
fett1 an have his meals handed right in to him. an
him gettn' half of th, profit whom we sold th stuff.
Ye don't know any young feller like that, do ye, Mr.
Billings. that could get hold OF quick?"
Old Billings worked his fingers sDryy open and
Shut In front OF Casey'a face.
There ain't young feller in Kilo got sich long
fingers as them" he said braggingly, "ner young
feler amt gon' t have tn patience what I've got
amt Sittin stills one of my strong points. You'd
ought to take me as pardner IN this here confetti
business. Mr. Casey"
"Well." said Casey reluctantly, 'T amt askin' 80
Z go into It, an ain coaxln' ye an IL yc go into
1t yell have t be locked In Ike would lock In
young feller"
81 aint askin' nothn' better," declared Old BIZ.
iings
well. don't say nothin' about IT, said Casey,
"an' come round to tn Tfmss Office this evenin'
after supper. an we'll get work at It"
That was Tuesday and the Times out
every Thursday. and the very next Thursday Old
Billings began TO live up to his news value. Tues
day night Casey MET Old Billings nlono at the
Times ONCE and Thursday morning the Times"
came out with superb red headlines on the first
page. 1t was Mysterious Disappearance" of the
most thrilling kind and Davis was IN his glory He
shook hands with Casey dozen times on Wednes-
day between his visits 10 the usual stting pnees OF
Old Billings, and thanked him for drawing his at
tentlon to Old Billings absence from the well-worn
public benches and chairs de said no guessed
that Old Billings had got the fishing fever and had
gone TO the river after bass but that no good for
a scarebead In Thursdays paper anyway. And all
the time Old Billings was down cellar with karo-
some lamp and pair Of o1ce shears fourteen inches
long and weighing about pound cutting out con.
fetu the eizc OF the end OF lead pencil. He cut
nearly cigar box foil Wednesday.
Thursday morning Kllo read the Timer and
snihed disdalnfuly about tho mysterious disappear
ance Of Old Billings. and then went down to tho
grocery TO talk Il over with him. but he wasn't there,
Kno was surprised, bat not half 30 surprised Day.
Is WAS He couldn't male It out He had been