The Lakeland evening telegram., 1914-07-16

an that's no lie,' says he.
I'm Worried about Norah, though;
she amt bit we'll" Mike continued,
the happy look of the proud father
giving way to the troubled one of the
husband and provider.
Il don't like the way the docther
looks at her." he said. She's not
sthrong, poor gyur-rl. l had bit o
money saved up for this, but Katy got
diphtheria an that tuck it all, so now
haven't clint; an I'm OWN good
bit around, too.
"Ah, well,' he continued philosophic-
ally, as he picked UP the heavy slice
bar and tackled the first of his dirty
fires, its good have stiddy job
After the fires were cleaned and the
fire-room washed down, Mike re-
marked to his mate:
Il amt had wink O. sleep these
two nights; I'm filter ter be home in
bed today than afore these bflers.
with this rotten coal; but ! dassent
lose no time now for spell"
The conversation was interrupted by
the opening of the engine-room door
q bare crack. A hand and the griz-
zled beard of old Ferguson, the chief
protruded for brief instant.
Hey, ketch this!" he called In q
stage whisper, as he flung his pipe into
the yawning emptiness of the fire.
room with a fatalistc confidence that
was inspiring
It seemed as if the entire plant al
ways ran with clock-like smoothness
! and precision until the very minute
the superintendent entered on his in
spection tour; then the most unex-
pected things would happen, giving
that fiery-tempered official occasion to
berate all concerned. Now, Mike could
hear his high-pitched voice, reading
the riot act to the chief inside.
After half an hour, the tumult with
in having subsided, it was believed
His Nibs" had gone without bother
ing their department, an always hoped
for, but seldom realized, experience.
Mike threw his brass-cleaning equip
ment in a corner and leaned against
the wall He was completely worn out.
The fire-room was warm and the air
heavy with evaporation from the wet
floor Almost Immediately he dozed
off, standing upright as he was.
Suddenly the engine-room door was
flung wide open A tall, bony, stoop-
shouldered man, his face nearly hidden
by q fiery red broom of beard, stood
squarely in the doorway, both hands
in his overcoat pockets glaring saw
agely into the fire-room.
The super's eyes at once nailed the
sleeping man Not facial quiver be-
trayed his intentions. Slowly, deliber-
ately, he entered the fire-room and
traversed its length, scanning every
detail with a quick, comprehensive
glance.
A long, bony finger shot out from
the superintendent's side and bored a
hole between Mikes ribs. The big
fireman's eyes came open slowly, and,
to disnterested spectator, the trans
formation that passed over his feat
ures would have appeared comical.
Hey, how long have You been
here?"
"S-o-r-r?' asked bewildered Mike.
How long have you worked here"
Coin on eight years, SOFT"
What time do you get relieved?
AT twilve o'clock, s-o-r-r."
"All right; when you go out, you
stay out, do you hear?"
"Yis, s-o-r-r"
AS the superintendent fitted away
to deal to Darby and the coal-passer
their respective doses of venom, 1t
suddenly dawned upon Mike that he
was discharged. The spirit of murder
welled up In his heart, but he re-
strained it. Nobody had ever accom-
plished anything by an appeal to His
Nibs, except to add to that amiable
gentleman's gratification-but Mixes
need was desperate.
For the sake of Norah and the baby,
he would humble himself. Choking
back the desire to kill, he feigned hui
mility and approached the tyrant.
"Av We plase, s-o-r-r, Mr."
Get out-get out-T don't want any
talk from you; your steam is two
pounds low now"
"But, s-o-r-r, l on'y wanted ter ak
ye-"
Shut up-shut up, tell ye-get
away from me; you're drunk"
Having thus glibly pronounced the
doom of a family, His Nibs hastened
TO the office of the chief lineman, his
appetite for blood merely whetted.
AS Mike packed up the traps that
had accumulated in his closet during
his more than seven years incum-
bency, he kept muttering to himself:
An me wild on'y wan days pay
armed"
When the relief came in at noon,
Billy Doyle slapped him on the shoul-
der.
Hello, Mike, what ye lookin so blue
about2 Have His Nibs hepn troop"