Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1913-08-08
At cps EMPORIUM
Why Personal Injury Claim Was
Settled Out of Court After
mysterious" Fire.
BY n. NJ. EG5ERT.

man. was set and resolute when ne
sntered Fps office in the SUIT hm-
porium. Ep owned the emporium
with It's stock of cheap, shoddy goods
pver which half a score of girls sat
soiiing at their machines from elsnI
till six, and sometimes later.
well, Riffkin?" asked Ep. without
hooking up from his ledger.
We'll, Mr.. Ep, it's this way" began
the foreman. Il come to you time
and again about my girl, Maria
Hpalza. Me and she want to get mar
F4sd and we want to set up house
keeping. Last year, when her scalp
was torn in your machine because
ycu were too stingy to install a guard
you promised to settle for nine nun
fred dollar. And every time l speak
you put me. off with promises. NOW
MIR. Ep, unless you pay. we go 10
mw."
ED smiled sourly and, rising to his
beet, took the excited little mans
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? a
they've go wide sleeves and the fash
hons has changed. Look here!" he
pointed in another direction. "Four
thousand dollars worth Of Paris
style gowns that will go k hot
cakes. Why? Narrow sleeves-new
style. Now, my friend, If l sell every
one of them new gowns, I just clear
my losses on the old ones. And
where's your profit? Presently
NO more presently" Rifkin shout
I'd. Il lear that word too much. Next
year, mebbe, you settle-what?"
Ep shrugged his shoulders. you
can't get blood out of a stone, Rin-
kin" he said. Unless a fortunate 40
e4dent happened-well, in that case
I'd 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
u a fire burst out the new gowns
would 60 up in a fash and the old
stock wouldn't be touched by as much
ms a drop of water. If ! wasn't an
honest man"
He scowled angrily al the old stock,
neatly wrapped upon the shelves.
"As l was saying, Rifkin. 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 user He shrugged
his shoulders again and turned back
30 his bookkeeping.
Il wish you was honest enough tc
pay your debts" growled the fore
man, turning away.
Maria Splaza, his sweetheart
worked on n Of the machines. A
year previously half her scalp haC
been torn away by al unprotected rod
It had been replaced by skillful skin
grating and her beauty was MOI
marred, but the pain and anguish wer'
worth the paltry nine hundred FL
had promised to pay. A jury woul'
award two thousand.
"Tm going to quit and sue him, Ma
ha." said Riffkin during the noon hal
hour.
mo, don't, Louis" pleaded tn
pretty Italian girl, Il know he mean
to do fair by US. Give him a littl
longer. Besides, do you know / hav
saved up nearly fifty dollars?"
Fifty dollars!" exclaimed the for,
man. How can you saw out of eigh
q week. Maria?"
Overtime" she answered, proud.
! wanted to surprise you. You VOL
dered where l e evenings, didn
youf Well. for three months Nv
been coming down nights-and II
going to make enough for us to stal
housekeeping without Mr.. Ep
money"
Wen get that, too, Maria" sal
Louis. kissing her very furtively. N
body was looking, however, and
the action had been seer no one woul
have cared. Everybody knew TIL
Louis and Maria had been sweetheart
for two years.
The day passed as usual. At q
o'clock the girls ran chattering
the building. Usually Mr.. Ep was Il
hast to leave, locking the office aft
him, and then the factory door, b
On this occasion he hurried past Ri
him with averted face, leaving the l
de foreman a prey to wild astonis
ment. For whatever else Mr.. I
might have been accused of, 1t won
never have been over-confidence
NY.
his employees. And he had left eveI
thing unlocked and open to inspt
tton-even the Office books, whit
Raffldn saw resting upon his desk.
Am I drunk. or did / see son
thtngsr" inquired Riffkin of Rink.
~He leaves me to close up the off
and hurrtes away-for why? II
wasn't the meanest man on earth.
think 1t was forgetfulness. But
don't forget"
He switched off the electric Lie
and instantly a red spark shone {
upon the floor. Riffkin stared at 1t
horror. 1t was the lighted end of
cigarette, and was burning msrri
the end of the unlit portion i n juxta
gitton to a waste basket containins