The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1913-09-18
At Fps EMPORIUM
Why Personal Injury Claim Was
Settled Out Of Court After
mysterious" Fire.
By H.. N. EoeERT.

The face of Riffkin. the little fore
man, was set and resolute when he
entered Fps Office in the Suit EN-
porium. Ep owned the emporium,
with its stock Of cheap. shoddy goods,
over which half a score Of girls sat
toiling at their machines from eight
till six, and sometimes later.
We'll Ritfkin?" asked Ep. without
looking up from his ledger.
well MIR. Ep. it's this way" began
the foreman. Il come to you time
and again about my girl. Maria
Spalza. Me and she want to get mar
ried and we want to set up house
keeping. Last year. when her scalp
was torn In your machine because
you We're toos tingy to install a guard.
you promised to settle for nine hun
dred dollar. And every time l speak
you put ME of with promises. Now.
Mr.. Ep. unless you pay. we &c to
law"
Ep smiled sourly and. rising to his
arm.
See them goods?" he asked. point.
ing to a series Of shelves. -Four thou
sand dollars worth Of Paris style
gowns. and useless. Why? Because
they've got wide sleeves and the fash
ions has changed. Look here!" He
pointed In another direction. -Four
thousand dollars worth OF Paris
style gowns that will go like hot
cakes. Why? Narrow sleeves-new
style. Now. my friend. II l sell every
one OF them new gowns. l just clear
my losses on the old ones. And
where's your profit? Presently"
mo more presently" Rirkin shout.
ed. II hear that word too much. Next
year. mebbe, you settle-what?"
Ep shrugged his shoulders. "You
can't get blood out of a stone. Riff.
kin" he said. Unless a fortunate &C.
cident happened-well. in that case
Id do handsome by you both. The
old stocks insured for full value and
the new amt insured for a cent.
Sure enough. my luck would be that
II a fire burst out the new gowns
would 60 up in a fash and the old
stock wouldn't be touched by as much
as a drop Of water. II l wasn't an
honest man"
He scowled angr1ly at the old stock.
neatly wrapped upon the shelves.
las l was saying, Riffkin, If any
thing happened I'd do fair by both of
you. But I'm honest and you're hon.
est. SO what's the use?" He shrugged
his shoulders again and turned back
to his bookkeeping.
Il wish you was honest enough to
pay YOU Debts" growled the fore.
man, turning away.
Maria Splaza. his sweetheart,
worked on n OF the machines. A
year previously half her scalp had
been torn away by an unprotected rod.
1t had been replaced by skillful skin
grating and her beauty was not
marred, but the pain and anguish were
worth the paltry nine hundred Ep
had promised to pay. A jury would
award two thousand.
I'm going to quit and sue him, Ma
ira" said Riffkin during the noon half
hour.
"No, don't. Louis" pleaded the
pretty Italian girl. Il know he means
to do fair by US. Give him a little
longer. Besides, do you know have
saved up nearly fifty d~ollars?"
Fifty dollars!" exclaimed. the fore
man. How car you save out Of eight
q week, Maria?"
Overtime" she answered. proudly.
Il wanted to surprise you. You won.
dered where l went evenings. didn't
you? Well. for three months I've
been coming down nights-and I'm
going to make enough for us to start
housekeeping without Mr.. Fps
money"
We'll get that. too. Maria" said
Louis. kissing her very furtively. No.
body was looking, however, and ii
the action had been seen 40 one would
have cared. Everybody knew that
Louis and Maria had been s~weethcarts
for two years.
The day passed as usual. At six
o'clock the girls a chattering out OF
the building. Usually Mr.. Ep was the
last to leave, locking the Office after
him, and then the factory door, but
on this occasion he hurried past Rin.
kin with averted face. leaving the lit.
tie foreman a prey to wild astonish-
ment. For whatever else Mr.. Ep
might have been accused Of. it would
never have been over.confdence In
ity.
his employees. And he had left every.
thing unlocked and open to inspec.
tion-even the Office books. which
Rifkin saw resting upon his desk.
Am l drunk. or did l see some.
%things?" inquired Rifkin of Rinkin.
HE leaves me to close up the ONCE
and hurries away-for why? II he
wasn't the meanest man on earth. I'd
think 1t was forgetfulness. But En-
don't forget"
He switched of the electric light
and instantly q red spark shone out
upon the floor. Rifkin stared at 1t ID
horror. 1t was the lighted end of g
cigarette. and was burning merrily
the end of the unlit portion In juxtapo
sition to q waste basket containing
oiled paper!
Riffkin saw the scheme In an in