Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-12-11

old lrishwoman who did my other
shirt up flor l now had two) and who
mended my socks for a few pennies
a week.
You'll never learn the business"
he said, rather sadly, unless you
watch every chance to make a penny.
It's the pennies that count in this
business"
Get their money" he used to say
with great JUNCTION, get all % an
out of them for as little as you
can give. If they come back and
holler it is plenty of time enough to
make it right. Then, of course, it was
a mistake, but be careful and don't
give too much, even then"
And then this old rascal began t.
make it a practice to call me into his
office when a customer came in tc
complain of short weight or short
measure, and put the blame on me
for 1t. If the kick was a strong one
he would fire me then and there.
and l used to go out into the back
l d40 1Odl uALkA AK CuSIO1lC4 10
gone. But l had no chance to lose
my job.
He made it a point to wait on little
children who came into the store, n
l realize 10y that his purpose was to
short-change them out of a few pen
MES.
1t came about that I filled all the
orders sent In by mail or that were
left to be filled for farmers who
brought in an order made out by the
wife. Many and many a wigging was
had by innocent farmers who were
blamed by their wives for forgetting
to order certain articles. Of course
the things were never put intoNthe
package, although paid for.
l knew it was wrong. l knew / was
cheating these customers, but here
was this old sinner who went to
church regularly and was a deacon in
the leading house of worship. His
argument when l made a weak objec-
ton to this method was that he was
in business to make money and that
the thefts we're SO small that nobody
missed the money. Besides, he was
my BOSS" and he was, responsible.
That is what he told me in SO many
words.
One day l told him I was going to
quit. Here / was a half-starved and
wholly overworked boy, ignorant OF
the world and without a penny saved,
and absolutely dependent upon my
daily wage for food. but desiring
strongly to escape from this old scoun
drel.
When l told him T. wanted to quit
he dragged me into the Office and beat
me with a strap. He threatened me
with an awful death, cutting my
throat, and that sort of stuff, IL
tried to get away. And | believed
him and l did not sleep soundly that
night as l pictured in my boyish mind
the horrors and tortures he had
threatened me with.
After that l planned. l planned t
murder, him. / planned to burn dowr
the store. | planned to do anything
and everything that might offer me
chance to get away from the hateful
place. And n day the chance came
Back behind the counter one after
noon / found a pocketbook. 1t be
longed to him. / knew it as / knew
my own right hand, for it was from
this selfsame pocketbook that he gave
me gr~udgingly every Saturday night
SO slowly and g%rouchily that | feared
-, to- xt,% H. r,1r,II oh1n-D hi
mind and withhold it, my three dol
lars. In the pocketbook we're bills t.
the amount of $50.
Fear assailed me at this discovery
but conscience never spoke. / buried
it in the prune barrel and continues
my work. He searched for it every
where. He gave me a brutal question
ing and tortured me by twisting m.
arm until / screamed with pain. Blu
wild horses would not have dragge'
my secret away.
In the pocketbook were some note
, and other papers identifying it. l too
out the currency and hid it again il
the prune barrel after a few days
Then, one night, ! slipped out and lef
the pocketbook, with the papers in |
on the wooden sidewalk, because b
, had made his loss known by word O
] mouth and had announced that h
would give S. for its return.
The next day the pocketbook wa
> brought into the store by a man VIII
) said he had found it and who demand
ed the reward. The boss opened il
found that the $50 was missing an
accused the finder Of being a thief. H
! refused to pay any reward.
They fought all over the store. tn
boss was soundly trounced, and /, pit
full object of humanity, a scrawny
! half-starved boy and the author of hi
o misfortune, sneaked behind the cour
' ter and choked my mouth with
. shoddy coat sleeve to keep fror
shrieking with unholy joy.
Some days later l r~esurrected tn
$50 from the prune barrel and wit
;. this modest fortune left in the nigh
for parts unknown.
. Did / return the money in my late
. years of prosperity? did not.