Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-04-17
Johnny Kay
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did net disturb Johnny in the least;
that he had roll of greenbacks with
total valuation of $500 in his
trousers pocket did not trouble him
either.
AS Johnny shaded of a letter he
felt the staging tremble slightly az
someone put foot on the ladder be-
low; Johnny looked to see who might
be the intruder.
"Hello," said the man who was com
ing over the side Of the staging; ho
was a six-foot one-inch man whom
Johnny had never seen before.
"Helle!" said Johnny.
The six-foot one-inch man stepped
close to Johnny.
"Got bit of hard cash handy. my
friend?" he asked.
Johnny saw a peculiar CLINT In the
strangers eyes; he noticed further
that the shade of one eye differed
very slightly from that Of the other,
30 slightly that it was probably not
generally noticeable.
"Thirsty?" asked Johnny putting q
hand to his change pocket for dime.
The six-foot one-inch man put out
strong hand and gripped Johnny's col
lar.
IL am in need of your ROLL" he said
briefly.
Being a decidedly understood speci-
men Of humanity, Johnny could not
protest effectively against the grip
Of the six-foot one-inch man, and their
position on the slender staging for
bade any such protest which he might
have attempted on terra firma.
II am in need Of greenbacks and l
want your little rolll" said the six
foot one-inch man.
Johnny felt the hold on his collar
tighten, then he was lifted from his
footing on the staging and swung out;
his feet wiggled convulsively for a
moment and he looked down.
Sixty feet below he saw the brick
pavement cleaning red in the morn
ing sunlight, and for the first time
in his 80 years of living Johnny's
stout heart quailed. From some
seemingly remote distance low
voice was commanding his attention.
The silence was oppressive. Johnny
looked down again. The brick pave
ment still cleaned red in the sun
light and it was fully 60 perpendicular
feet below. The mans grip seemed
to be loosening on his collar.
Johnny silently reached toward his
pocket.
You're little duffer," said the
man as he put Johnny down on the
staging
Johnny handed over his roll and
spoke briefly.
at was one drop" he said.-
at amt jest handy place for m.
the six-foot one-inch man, as he put
the roll in his pocket.
Johnny Kay did not whistle quite SC
: blithely after the six-foot one-inch man
had gone, still he considered that
there might have been q very genuine
tragedy and was comforted.
am a small-sised parcel, but
guess I'm worth $500 to Johnny Kay
And there's another couple of hun
dred salted down where i can get hold
, of itr he said.
One morning two years later
Johnny Kay was laying gold-leaf OF
big plate-glass window in the boom
ing little Western city to which he had
gone and set up in business. A crowd
stood outside watching the men al
work and Johnny turned to the young
man who was helping him.
"What do you feel like, Dick?" he
asked.
The young man laughed nervously
Like monkey in a glass cage" he
said.
when you've been at 1t month
you'll feel like great man before the
public" laughed Johnny. Then he
paused.
, "Dick. you keep working, or pre-
tending to-" he said under his breath
= and with seeming deliberation pu
on his coat and joined the crowd out
side. He spoke word to couple o
' policemen and edged his way to tn,
side of q large man.
Looking your work over?" asket
the big man.
Johnny looked into the mans fac
and spoke gently.
"I've been looking for you," he said
. Later, at the police station, he toll
his story.
"I've been looking for this man tw,
e years, your Honor I've looked goo,
many crowds over when l was doin
window signs, in hopes to see this pal
e OF eyes, l ain't learned man, you
: Honor, but have notion that abou
every man has snare of old Adam
curiosity; we fellows always draw
2 :. crowd and had sort of feeling tina
this man would come to my windoy
: some day.
n "He got $4,000 from the Frankli
: National the night after he di
|. acrobatic stunts with me, and there
o $1,000 reward for the fellow tina