The Washington herald., 1914-10-25
THE ELEVATOR BOY
Makes Another Tenant Recognize His Merits

When Mr.. Hopewsll, the New England
brick agent, moved into room No. 42
month ago; wanted to show my
70 sse fsers %aa sna Tsfd oO@d Sh h do
Yes, Sammis. there, is" he replied
as he looked me up and down as II 1
was only Goldfish. Yes, you can do
something for me by minding your own
business! You look to me like a very
fresh kid. and / an glad TO have the
opportunity of telling you that II you
play any OF your monkeyshines on me
yop,n get your neck broken! That's ALL
But I'm neither fresh nor tricky. 50
Then IT will be all right. It may
be that your looks are deceiving"
And I'm a fatherless boy, with a
widowed mother and a mortgage on my
hands"
expect any help from me! When I
have any money I don't want I'll throw
1t into the river instead OF giving IL
over to you! I'm from the granite hills
is no moss on my back. Run along
now and keep your face clean"
I never had a tenant talk to me that
way before, and ! went down and told
Mr. Rasher. the agent what had been
well, sammis." he said. after listening
to my story. there are what they call
nonappreciatiye men in this world, and
/ think you'd better go a little slow.
He is evidently a good man to deal
with. In time, perhaps, he might come
to recognize your merits at their full
value. but for awhile he will probably
be a little distrustful.''
saw that had Mr.. Rasher's good will
and sympathy, but that didn't comfort
me altogether. There are elevator boys
am not one Of them Mr.. Hopewell had
humiliated me, and l wanted to get
even. 1t wasn't over four or hve days
before a woman came in and asked for
that knew she was his wife. She was
a monstrous fat woman, with hands like
hams and a. snub nose. and there was
Jealousy could easily be aroused.
Its awful about these men," I said
as we went slowly up.
What men do you mean7" she asked
Certain men in this building, ma'am.
They are married men. and yet the way
they nirt with the typewriter girls Is
something awful. II 1 hadn't promised
boy. what could you teIig' she de-
manded as she laid hand on my shoul-
der and began to breathe hard.
Il dasn't say, ma'am."
him flirting, he'll think a house fell on
him. Is he one Of the men who are
cutting up?''
1 was silent, ana aIter minute She
handed me a quarter and said she want
ed TO see me again. When she came
down, she was with her husband, and
both looked mad. AS she left the ele-
yator she sort Of winked at me, and l
knew she'd be back next day Next
morning / bought bouquet for 50 cents
and sent It in to the the stenographer in
room No. 81 and two hours later the
fat woman came waddling IN. I saw
suspicion in her eye while she was yet
twenty feet away, and as she got into
the elevator she handed me a dollar bill
and sail:
Now. bub. want to know about these
men, Do they smile at the typewriters
as they ride up and DOWN."
They do, ma'am."
And they talk with 'em?'
Yes; they whisper behind nv back"
so they whisper. do they? Nice state
Of affairs! And do they go out to lunch
together?"
Every day, ma'an."
They do, eh? I suspected as much.
Now, boy, I want the truth from YOU.
You must know r-y husband by sight?"
And m he is one of the airtersr"
was silent
so he's flirting with the typewriters,
is he," she said as her breath came
hoarsely. He never wants me to come
down and lunch with him, and the rea-
son is because he's taking some one else
out! Boy. your silence tells me am
II don't want to get anybody into