The Tupelo journal., 1910-08-19
ANI)Y'S
FRANK BOOK

L, 3 Sdu, Uut l. W. SoAu lAutNIlp thO
reformed telegraph operator. who had
been In deep thought for some time.
"but | cant think of the copy-book
motto or maxim, or whatever it's
called. that fits the case Of a friend OF
mine. once knew all those top lines.
too, but II isn't Virtue Is its own re-
ward or "A kind answer turneth away
wrath or any that comes to my mind
just now. However, here is the story:
1T was when l was manager for a
branch Office of a telegraph company
that | became acquainted with Andy
Glenn. He was in the railroad bust
ness in a small way, and that threw
us together. He vas strictly honest.
but If there were any perquisites 60
ing around he was out for his'n, and
got all that came his way. Should one
be coming along the street. Andy was
not the mar to sidestep or duck around
a corner No, he met it face to face,
and always was the captor.
often l have thought that Andy
was the man for whom trading stamps
and tobacco tags were invented, for
they sure were his style. 1t was
rumored that when he was a child he
enjoyed being sick just to get the
candy or lump of sugar that went with
classes because the teacher gave a
prize each month for the best pupil.
well it so fell out that Andy be-
came the owner Of the frank book
from the telegraph company which
employed me. You know a frank book
is like one of these postage stamp
books you buy at the p~ostoffice with
pages of stamps that can be torn out
and used separately. The franks are
given to individuals the company con
siders itself under obligations to and
can be used to convey free purely So
cial messages signed by the one in
whose name they are issued. One at
tached to a message will secur trans
mission free, such information as It's
a ten-pound boy and is named after
you, uncle Meet Mary at the train.
She will spend two weeks with you,'
etc.
Now, Andy found these stamps con-
venient and his communications by
wire were numerous. His book had
been renewed during the year of its
life, but with the last day of February
1t expired by the statute of limitations
indorsed upon its back. Andy was
brought to a realization Of this fact
by the receipt of a new book of stamps
for the coming IL months. But alas,
he searched himself and found a
bunch of the old stamps still unused,
and with the coming of February %
upon him saw their value fitting. He
was taken by surprise and had not
realized the time was so short. Never
before had he e such valuable col
lateral go to waste. What was to be
done was his problem.
81 was in my office on the night in
question, and Andy called me up and
his case. He wanted to know
If he could not continue to use the old
stamps until the book was empty, but
] said it was ag'iH the rules. He asked
II they could be exchanged fer new
and again | had to tell him nay.
Then came his heroic resolve-he
would use them all before midnight,
and not let the telegraph company get
the better Of him.
Then came a hunting up of friends
to whom he owed letters and tee wri-
ting in his hotel room of lengthy mes
replying to their latest commu-
nicaticns, the afiy'ng of stamps, the
call for a bell boy to take the dis
patches to a branch telegraph Office
the hotel and Andy retired shortly
before midnight conscious of a duty
land a telegraph company we'll done.
AS Andy was beginning his dreams
the operator in charge of the branch
was relaying the messages to the main
office. satisfied with the bell boys
that Mr.. Glenn says these
are ali right and get 'em off In a
But woe it Is to tell. A mistake
had been made, and the branch office
was that of another telegraph COM
pany. IL rival, which never had
Andy the freedom of it's wires,
but knew he was responsible fnan-
cially for any fair amount of business.
The error was not discovered for two
days, when the messages we're sorted
and the valueless stamps were discov.
cred.
Then a settlement was desired, and
was obliged to dig for So to pay
his set of dispatches, which con.
veyed good wishes and gossip that he
Qcedn't have sent at all or could have
distributed for a few two-cent post.
age stamps.
Since then Andy has been careful
Of the reckless use Of perquisites and
he looks at the sign over the theater
before he presents his pass at the
door.
"Still, haven't been able to figure
the moral of the story-if there