Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-05-15

difficult Job.
hat every man Jack Of them knew
perfectly we'll that the electrical ap-
psTstus of tho building was now in
exactly the same condition a. 1t had
been the evening before. No repair
work had followed futile investiga-
ton,
Al the group moved toward the
outer air. the head repair man quietly
dropped behind. Surreptitiously he ap-
piled tho slender cords Of his pocket
ammeter to the zinc and carbon OF the
dead batteries concerning whose
freshness he and his assistant had
argued. The delicate needle leaped
forward, Quivered like = snakes
tongue. and lowered over = number.
Fifteen" read the repair man; and
then. after a moment: "Hell!"
The daily business, therefore,
opened normally. Tho elevators shot
from floor to floor; the telephones
rang; the call-bells buzzed. and all was
we'll. At 6 o'clock came the scrub.
woman: at half past seven the Office
boys; at s, the clerks; little later
some Of the heads; and precisely at
8 Malachi Mccarthy, az was his IN
variable habit.
AS the bulky form Of the political
boss pushed around the leaves Of the
revolving door, the elevator starter
glanced at his watch. This was not to
determine II Mccarthy was on time
but to sec II tho watch Wa right.
Mccarthy had recovered his good
humor. He threw q joke ut the negro
polishing tho brass, and paused genial
W to exchange Z, word with the
elevator starter.
Worked until about O'Clock" the
latter answered . question. Got 1t
fixed all right. No, they didn't say
what was the matter. Something to do
with the wires I suppose
| s"Most like" agreed Mccarthy.
at this moment an elevator dropped
from above and came to rest, like q
swift bird aiighting. The doors parted
to let out a young man wearing the
can of the United Wireless.
Good morning. Mr.. Mccarthy" this
young man remarked In passing
aren't going into the sign painting
business, are you?'' He laughed.
what We givin' us. Mike?" de-
manded Mccarthy.
The Young man wheeled to include
the elevator starter in the joke.
"Air was full OF dope most OF last
night from. some merry little Jester
working a toy, homemade. He just
kept repeating the same thing-sorne-
thing about 'McCarty, at 6 o'clock you
shall have sign given unto you. ~
works, over and over all night. some
new advertising dodge, l reckon
Didn't know but you were the NC
Carthy and we're getting a present
from some admiring constituent.
He threw back his head and laughed,
but McCarthy's ready anger rose. =.
where did the stuff come from?'
"Out Of the fresh air." replied the
operator prom most anywhere inside
the zone OF communication"
Couldn't you tell, who sent it,
s"No way. It wasn't. signed. Come
from quite a distance. though?"
How can you tell that?" III
"You can tell BY the way it sounds
| Saw they ought 70 be law about
these amstoors, ciuttering up the ali
this way. sometimes I got to pick my
own dope out OF a dozen or fifteen
messages all ticking away in my head
piece at once" = s
II know the crazy slob what sent
EN-. all hight; all right" growled NC
Garthy, Hes nutty for fair
"Well, r. he's tnutty,t I wish you'd
hurry his little trip to Matteawan,"
complained the operator, turning
away.
The boss went to his office, where
he established himself behind his
tab,e.top desk. There all day he con.
Quoted a leisurely business Of mys.
FERROUS import, sitting where the cool
autumn breeze from the r1ver 0rouent
its refreshment. His desk top held no
papers: the writing materials lay un'
disturbed. Sometimes the office con-
tanned HAN a dozen people. Some
!! times It was quite empty, and Nc.
Carthy sat drumming his blunt fingers
an the window-sill, chewing a cigar,
and gazing out over the city he
owned.
There were two other, inner, Offices
to McCarthy's establishment, In which
sat a private secretary and an on1ce
how, Occasionally Mccarthy. with
some especial visitor, retired to one OF
these for a more confidential converse
ton. The secretary seemed always
very busy; the office boy was often In
the street. At noon Mccarthy took
Inn oh at a small round table In the
cafe below. When he reappeared at
the elevator shaft, the elevator starter
again verified his watch. Malachi Nc
Carthy had but the one virtue OF &C
curacy, and that had to do with mat
ters OF time. At five minutes OF SIX he
reached for his hat; at three minutes
Of six he boarded the elevator.
runs all right today, SAM" he re-
marked genially to the boy whom he
had half throttled the evening before
He stood for q moment In the en-
trance of the building, enjoying the
sight of the crowds husrying to their
cars, the elevated, the subway. and the
ferries. The clang and roar OF the city
pleased his senses, as vessel
yibrate to its master tone. MCCARTHY
was feeling largely paternal as ne
stepned toward the corner, for to
great extent the destinies OF these peo
pie we're In HIS hands.
"Easy marks!" was his philanthropit
xhSo omrt9nout