The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1914-12-03

to dream, and slept amidst the odors
from the barreled and boxed groceries.
He showed me how to manipulate
the old-fashioned scales so chat could
cheat an old woman out of pound
or two of sugar or -four. Our pint,
quart and gallon measures had false
bottoms. Our peck and bushel meas
ures we're cxed fpr false measure,
and there was ample material for adul-
iteration of all commodities. He in
structed me in their use, and one day
he trounced me without mercy be-
cause he observed that I>did not sufi-
GENTLY adulterate the purchase of an
old Irishwoman who did my other
shirt up (for now had two) and who
mended my socks for a few pennies
week.
You'll never learn the business"
he said, rather sadly, unless you
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. If they come back and
boiler it is plenty of time enough to
make it right. Then, of course, it was
mistake, but be careful and don't
give too much, even then"
And then this old rascal began to
make it practice to call me into his
Office when customer came in to
, complain of short weight or short
measure, and put the blame on me
for it. If the kick was a strong one
he would fire" me then and there,
room and loaf until the customer had
gone But / had no chance to lose
my job.
He made it a point to wait on little
children who came into the store, and
| realize now that his purpose was to
| short-change them out of few pen
| MES.
1t came about that l filed all the
orders sent in by mail or that were
left to be filed for farmers who
brought in an order made out by the
wife. Many and many 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 into the
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 / made weak objec-
ton to this method was that he was
in business to make money and that
the thefts were 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 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 I told him I 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, if
tried to get away. And L. believed
him and l did not sleep soundly that
night as pictured in my boyish mind
the horrors and tortures he had
threatened me with.
After that I planned. I planned to
| r,o11rdor him YJonnnd ~ h11ryo douyn
the store. l 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 I found pocketbook. 1t be-
longed to him. knew it as I 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 it, my three dol.
lars. In the pocketbo ok were bills to
the amount of $50.
Fear assailed me al, this discovery,
but conscience never Spoke. l buried
it in the prune barrel and continued
my work. He search ed for it every.
where. He gave me brutal question.
ing and tortured me by twisting my
arm until screamed with pain. But
wild horses would net have dragged
my secret away.
In the pocketbook were some notes
and other papers identifying it. I took
out the currency and hid it again in
the prune barrel after a few days.
Then, one night, slipped out and left
the pocketbook, with the papers in it
on the wooden sidewalk, because he
had made his loss known by word Of
mouth and had announced that he