Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1914-12-18

old Irishwoman who did my other /
shirt up flor now had twol and who /
mended my socks for few pennies
q week.
"Youn never learn the business"
he said, rather sadly. unless you |
watch every chance to make q penny.
It's the pennies that count In this |
business"
Get their money" he used TO say |
with great JUNCTION. get all you can
out Of them for as little as you
can give. II they come back and
boiler II is plenty Of time enough to
make II right. Then, Of course. 1t was
q mistake. but be careful and don't
give too much. even then"
And then this old rascal began to
make It a practice to call me into his
ONCE when q customer came In to
complain of short weight or short
measure, and put the blame on me
for IL. II the kick was q strong one
he would 'tire" me then and there,
and used to 60 out into the back
room and loaf until the customer had
gone But l had no chance TO lose
my job.
He made 1t a point to wait on little
children who cames1nto the store. and
/ realize now that his purpose was TO
short-change them out Of few pen
MES.
1t came about that filled all the
orders sent In by mail or that we're
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 we're
blamed by their wives for forgetting
to order certain articles. OF course
the things we're never put into the
package, although paid for.
knew II was wrong. ! knew ! was
cheating these customers. but here
was this old sinner who went to
church regularly and was. deacon In
the leading house of worship. His
argument when made weak obIee-
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 told him | was going to
quit. Here l was a half-starved and
wholly overworked boy. ignorant Of
the world and without penny saved,
and absolutely dependent upon my
daily wage for food. but desiring
strongly to escape from this old scoun-
drel
When told him | 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 stun. IL |
tried to get away. And | believed
him and did not sleep soundly that
night as l pictured in my boyish mind
the horrors and tortures he had
threatened me with.
. After that planned. l planned to
murder him. planned to burn down
the store. planned to do anything
and everything that might offer me a
chance to get away from the hateful
place. And one day the chance came.
Back behind the counter one after
. noon | found a pocketbook. II be-
: longed 70 him. / knew 1t as knew
my own right hand, for It was from
this selfsame pocketbook that he gave
! me grudgingly every Saturday night,
SO slowly and grouchily that feared
> each time that he would change his
mind and withhold 1t, my three dol
lars. In the pocketbook were bills to
!, the amount of $50.
Fear assailed me at this discovery,
but conscience never spoke. | buried
i. It in the prune barrel and continued
my work. He searched for II every.
! where. He gave me brutal question
ing and tortured me by twisting my
! arm until screamed with pain. But
wild horses would not have dragged
8 my secret away.
! In the pocketbook were some notes
: and other papers Identifying It. tool
out the currency and hid 1t again In
: the prune barrel after few days
Then, one night, slipped out and lef
the pocketbook, with the papers in Il
a on the wooden sidewalk. because ht
. had made his loss known by word o
n | anu udu that IA
would give IS for its return.
M The next day the pocketbook wa
NJ brought into the store by man whit
:. said he had found 1t and who demand
! ed the reward. The boss opened II
: found that the $50 was missing ant
accused the finder of being thief. H,
n refused to pay any reward
4 They fought all over the store. Tn
! boss was soundly trounced. and /, pitt
! full object OF humanity. q scrawny
Il half-starved boy and the author OF hi
"a misfortune, sneaked behind the coun
y ter and choked my mouth with
70 shoddy coat sleeve to keep from
= shrieking with unholy Joy.
=. Some days later resurrected tn
: $50 from the prune barrel and wit
" this modest fortune left In the nigh
IN for parts unknown.
~ Did / return the money IN my late
10 years of prosperity? ! did not
n