The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-11-03
The Elevator
Boy
By NJ. QUAD
Copyright. 1915, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

L III
Many young doctor or lawyer just
starting his career has watched an ele-
vatOr boy at work and said to himself:
.'Ah. what a profession! No disap-
pointments-no carking care-no bur-
dens on the young back. Why didn't
adopt it?'
And yet the young gentleman who
elevates the elevator has hidden sor-
rows that the public wots not of.
These sorrows begin with the engi-
neer.
In a certain building not long ago
sized up the engineer the very first day
as man who would make me trouble
If he could. l learned that two of the
window cleaners thought him a single
man and both were little gone on
him. Also that his wife brought his
lunch in regularly every noon. The
next day at the proper time l scooted
up to the eighth floor and found the
Widow Mccarthy wiping up the hall,
and said to her:
Have you got your lunch with you.
Mrs. Mccarthy
"Indade and l have" she replied.
"And why don't you 60 down to the
basement and eat 1t In company with
Engineer Flyn? l know he would ap-
preeiate your company"
That's true, me boy, and I'll get me
basket and go down. especially as that
cold faced grass wildly who calls her
self Mrs. O'Shane. though she's no
right to 1t in the law. seems to have
finished her floor and gone home"
l took her down and then scooted for
the fifth floor and found Mrs O'Shane
and said to her:
why don't you take your lunch bas-
ket and 80 down and keep Mr.. Flyn
company"
"Is it company he signs for, me
daddy? If so I'll 60 down and cheer
him up with my presence" she replied
And you'll find a place to warm up
some cold tea If you want to-"
Thank ye, but that is beautiful
idea, and mebbe the good hearted man
will have a cup wild me. How long
ago did Mrs. Mccarthy disappear,
SammisY
"Oh. took her down some time
ago."
"She calls herself the Wildly McCar-
ty, Sammis. leavin' the h out to put In
her 'shugar,' | suppose. but is she q
wildly. me boy? It's easy enough to
say this and that, but where are the
proofs? Has she ever shown anybody
her husbands death notice as twas
printed?"
II never saw 1t. ma'am."
I dropped Mrs. O'Shane at the base.
ment just as Mr.. Flyn's wife came In
with his lunch. There wasn't much
said. The three women pitched into
each other almost on sight, and they
were pulling hair and banging into par
titions and making the dust fly when /
took walk Next day as I stopped at
the sixth Mrs. Mccarthy got sight of
me and said:
"Sammis. I'm told that ye are an
orphan boy all by yourself"
Not strictly an orphan, only father
less"
$50 you've got mother. have ye?
Well. a poor fatherless boy can't be
havin' too many mothers. and I'll also
be a mother 10 ye.
Il hadn't better call you ma when
any ones around. had 1. mar
Il was a-thinkin' about that, Sam
mis-" she thoughtfully replied.
mo. l guess you hadn't. You see.
It might lead to jealousy and more
Sammis, dye mind went down to the
basement to eat me lunch wild that
spalpeen of an engineer the other
dayT
Seems as II I did. You thought Mr..
Flyn would be bit lonely, / believe.
he didn't like to eat his lunch alone"
bad cess to his loneliness and his
whole body! Sammis, me son. the man
Is deceiver and ought to be dropped
from the roof. He let on to me that be
was a single man and dyin' fur some
one to luv him. What dye think,
Sammis? On the day I'm thinkin' of
I had scarcely got out Of the elevator
and says good day to him when she
that calls herself Mrs. O'Shane Gums
after me. and right on her heels Gums a
woman wild a lunch basket-the en-
gineer's own true and legal woifel
Wasn't that pretty mess. me sonY'
did anything happenT"
I'm not clear about 1t, Sammis, but
l think somethin' did. ! have a dim
recollection of bein' banged on the
chin, receivin' this blackncss under me
eye and of me heels fyin' away wild
me and me bein' banged against the
partitions, but shall never be able to
make 1t out to me satisfaction. All
I'm sure of is that me head has been
achin' ever since that hour. and every
time draw a breath l feel like hittin'
that engineer over the head with me
bucket"
And We'll put up job on him and
get him bouncedT
by and by. perhaps. but not now.
Well move slowly In this matter, Sam
mis-, and meanwhile I'm lookin' for you
to defend yer adopted mothers reputa-
ton should any gossip arise. Ye might
deny that We took me down that day.
BY the way. how's the mortgage on the
home. Sammis?"
I'm staggering under 1t yet. thank
YOU
Its too bad. but keep up your cour-
age. Here's banniny to stay yer
stummick till lunch time and it's not
the last yell git by joyful. Quiet Is
the word. Sammis-easy and quiet and
no gossip-and ven bless the day that
Mrs Mccarthy adopted We for her very
own"
Mr.. Flyn may think he's up to a
dodge or two. but so is SAMMIS.
The Elevator Boy.