The Springdale news., 1914-02-27
HOW I7EALY GOT EVEN
By ARTHUR PRESTON,

 if so no one around the shop had ever heard it, or would have remem- bered it if they had He was a freck- led faced youth with watery blue eyes and a tangled mass of reddish yellow hair. What his age may have been is only conjecture, but, seated on the tallest office stool, supplemented by discarded copy of Webster's Un- abridged, he could, by dint of much stretching, just reach the upper case A
 It was election morning and a red hot campaign of municipal reform was en. The gang" realizing that they were up against 1t in earnest, had fig ured out the wards they needed and were contning their operations to them. Sparks, the owner, and Mealy were alone in the office, all the print CTS having been let off for the day, when the door opened and in walked Grogan.
 Hullo, Jim,' he said
 Morning, Grogan; how are things coming?'
 Its going to be a hot one. we have got to keep moving. Say, have you any old tickets on hand? Any kind will do.''
 I'll see," said Sparks. He arose and went to the rear of the shop where, from under a case he extract ed a dust covered package.
 Here's lot of tickets that were or dered for nigger rafIle and never called for. How will they do?"
 Just the thing. How many are there?"
 A thousand" anawerd Sparks.
 Good returned Grogan; that will be just about what We need
 What are you going to do with them?' queried Sparks
 Well, answered Grogan, you know that they have closed up every saloon tighter than drum today, but we'll fool em. We have got lot of kegs down in Murphy s barn, and each one of these tickets will entitle the bearer to nip, and no questions ask ed. We will put them around where they will do the most good. Clever scheme, eh?"
 The two men chuekled together a few moments in selfcongratulation.
 Well, 1 must run along" said Gro- gan. You'll be out after awhile?'
 Sure.
 Sparks, after working awhile, took down his coat and hat. If anyone calls, Mealy," be said, T won't be in
 
 after the shop, there won't be any thing doing
 Left alone, Mealy stolidly continued throwing in the type on which he was working but rage burned within him. Why should he alone, of all the shop force, be compelled to stay cooped up at work when there was fun to be had outside? He thought Of his compan ions, probably at this moment playing knuckle down for keeps or shooting craps for pennies. It was tough luck, and he turned his head and spat vi- ciously from between his teeth. AS he did so his glance rested on small red pasteboard. He gazed at it with unfriendly eye for some time, when,
 
 and he slid from the stool, pying stickful of type and tumbling the die tionary to the floor as he went
 He picked up the bit of pasteboard and carried it over to the stock rack from which, after a careful compari- son, he drew several sheets. These he cut into small squares and, after a htIC hoI nf the makeup slab. set the press go- ing.
 At 12, with a snug package under his arm, Mealy left the shop and, aft CT bolting a huge piece of pie and gulping down a mug of coffee at near by lunch counter. betook himself down a familiar alley to a secluded corner where the street gamins were wont to spend the noon hour. Call ing aside two of his special cronies, there ensued an animated conversa- ton, following which the package was transferred to one of the twain, who promptly departed. Mealy returned to the shop, mounted his stool and worked industriously, whistling cheer fly the while.
 About three o'clock Sparks came in and graciously dismissed Mealy for the rest of the day, permission which he accepted with alacrity. Perhaps couple Of hours later the door was pushed violently open and Grogan rushed in
 For heavens sake, Jim." he shout ed, how many of those tickets did you give me?"
 "A thousand" answered Sparks. Whats the matter?'
 Matter! All Hades to pay" re turned Grogan. excitedly We have honored twice that many, and they still are pouring in. Our stuff is all gone, and We cant get more, the work men we gave the tickets to are just coming to the polls. They swear it s trick, and have passed the word to vote for the other fellows. The ward will go against us sure as shoot