The midland journal., 1914-12-04

W UI6aAus anu slept dmluSJ the OuOfS
from the barreled and boxed groceries.
He showed me how to manipulate
the .old-fashioned scales so that 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 busheI meas
ures were sxed for false measure,
and there 7as ample material for adul.
teration OF all commodities. He in
structed me in their use, and one day
he trounced me without mercy be.
cause he observed that did. not suffl-
ciently adulterate the purchase of an
old Irishwoman who did my other
shirt up for now had two) and who
mended my socks for q few pennies
week.
You'll never learn the business.
he said, rather sadly. unless you
watch every chance to make penny.
It's the pennies that count in this
business
Get their money! he used to say
with great unction, ''get all you can
out OF them for as little as you
can give. II 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 to
make it practice TO call me into his
Office when a, customer came in to
complain of short weight or short
measure, and put the blame on me
for it. If the kick was strong one
he would "fire', me then and there,
and / used to go out into the back
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 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 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 into the
package, although paid for.
knew it was wrong. 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-
tion 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 told him I was going to
quit. Here 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.
=
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, if i
tried to get away. And believed
him and did not sleep soundly that
night as pictured in my boyish mind
the horrors and tortures he had
threatened me with.
After that planned. / planned to
murder him. planned to burn down
the store. planned to do anything
and everything that might offer me
chance to get away from the hateful
place. And one day the chance came.
Back behind the counter one after
noon found pocketbook. 1t be-
ionged to him. knew it as knew
my own right hand, for 1t 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.
rear assailed me at this discovery,
but conscience never spoke. buried
1t in the prune barrel and continued
my work. He searched 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 not have dragged
my secret away.
In the pocketbook were some notes
and other papers Identifying it. 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
would give IS for its return.
The next day the pocketbook was
brought into the store by man who