The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1914-12-24

the oId.fashtoned scales so that ! could
cheat an old woman out OF a pound
or two OF sugar or floor. Our pint,
quart and gallon measures had false
bottoms. Our peck and bushel meas.
ures were .xed for false measure.
n there '7as ample material for adul.
iteration OF all commodities. lie In.
structed me In their use. and one day
he trounced me without mercy be.
cause he observed that | did not sufii.
GENTLY adulterate the purchase OF an
shirt up (for | now had two) and who
mended my socks for a few pennies
a week.
You'll never learn the business"
he said. rather sadly, unless you
watch every chance to make n 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 az you
can give. II they come back and
boiler II is plenty OF time enough to
Hldhc u IlbHN' utu' VI NOuIst, II was
a mistake, but be careful and don't
give too much. even then"
And then this old rascal began 10
make II a practice to call me into bis
office when a customer came In 20
complain OF short weight or short
measure, and put the blame on me
for II. II the kick was a strong one
he would ''hre" me then and there.
and ! used 10 go out into the back
room and loaf until the customer had
gone. But ! had no chance to lose
my job
He made II 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 a few pen.
MES.
II came about that I filled all the
orders sent in by mail or that were
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 were
blamed by their wives for forgetting"
to order certain articles or course
the things were never put into the
package, although paid for.
| knew II was wrong. | knew I 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 a weak cbjec.
ton TO this method was that he was
In business 10 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 30 many
One day I told him I was going TO
quit. Here | was a half.starved and
overworked boy, ignorant OF
the world and without n 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 7 wanted 20 quit
dragged me into the Office and beat
me with a strap. He threatened me
with an awful death. cutting my
and that sort OF stun, IL
to get away And I believed
and ! did not sleep soundly that
as I pictured In my boyish mind
horrors and %torturcs he had
threatened me with.
After that | planned. I planned to
murder him. ! planned TO burn down
the store. | planned to do anything
and everything that might offer me a
TO get away from the hateful
place. And n day the chance came.
Back behind the counter one after.
! found q pocketbook. II be.
longed 10 him. | knew II as I knew
my " right hand, for II was from
selfsame pocketbook that he gave
me grudgingly every Saturday night,
slowly and g%rouchily that | feared
time that he would change his
mind and withhold II. 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
- - $50 ihNbN boii'i w COiltlnutu
my work. He searched for II every.
He gave me a brutal question.
and tortured me by twisting my
arm until | screamed with pain. But
wild horses would not have dragged
my secret away.
In the pocketbook we're some notes
and other papers identifying II. | took
the currency and hid II again in
prune barrel after a few days.
Then. one night, ! slipped gu, and left
p~ocketbook. with the papers in Il
on the wooden sidewalk, because he
had made his loss known by word ~
mouth and had announced that he
would give IS for It's return.
The next day the pocketbook was
brought into the store by a man who
he had found It and who demand.
ed the reward. The boss opened II,
found that the $50 was missing and
accused the finder OF being a thief. lie
refused to pay any reward.
HI