Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1916-10-06

His Price
II Turned Out to BE
His Own, Not Inc
Other Mans.
d., TIADICCA Maybe
By CLARISSA MACKIE



That was his chief boast One day
after he had made this assertion one
Of the persons who heard 1t said to the
other;
"Rcckon he did make himself. The
Lord never would have made man
Hike him"
Sklr left school when he was nine
years old,
There were two things that Babcock
coveted The one was the most eX.
rcnslvc automobile he could buy, and
the 1ashlcst The other was Celia
Hart n young milllner Celia was Of
the same sphere IN life as BabcoclS, but
she must have been made Of different
clay,
lie got the automobile, and II re-
NAMED for him to get Celia IIart-if
he could. The only thing in the way
Of his getting her so far as he knew
was Tim Casey Casey was in Bah.
cocks employ, and Babcock considered
that he owned every man he hired 1t
CALLED him TO feel that this common
workman" ms he called Casey, should
he IN the way Of his getting anything
he wanted. But Casey was far before
him In Cclla's affections, and he knew
It, But II wasn't natural that this
should hc so, and he thought up way
10 change il-a way that only such
man as me- would choose
For three succeeding days Sklft Bah.
cock had permitted his brand new red
touring car to crawl along the street IN
the hope Of meeting Celia as she went
to or from the milliner's where she
worked.
Skllr could always pick Celia out Of
crowd by the graceful swing Of her
slender erect figure, but recently she
had identified herself beyond all doubt
by perchlng a coral colorcd hat on her
abundant black hair
All at once Skifr's beGdy little eyes
disccrncd her, First the coral hat
came into view, then Cela's lovely
laughing face and finally the hulklnS
form Of mono other than Mr., Bahcock's
head truck driver, who held Cclia's ell
bow in one big hand with a most often
sive air Of proprietorship,
Suddenly SkilT Babcock whirlcd his
machine around and dashed into an
other street.
An hour later he sat Mt his desk In
the Office of the Skiff Babcock Truck
ing company, At the curbstone his
red car painted impatiently Through
the archway that connected the street
with the stables behind his office his
employees were passing to and fro,
A haze Of tobacco smoke blurred the
little room for Skiff was smoking ci-
gar after cigar in a logged, persistent
way very much as If he knew that
when he reached the end Of a certain
number Of these fragrant smokes he
would find solution to the problem
that troubled him.
All at once he flung a half finished
cigar through the window and pounded
the desk heavily with one pudgy fist.
every man has his price," he said
slowly. ~ wonder what is Casey's
price,"
Again he meditated.
"a truckman," he snorted scornful-
ly, against me, who can turn every
vote in this ward-me with that auty-
mobile, and could dress her in dia-
monds, with q fat In Central Park
West, If she wanted it. The nerve of
Tim Casey"
lie rang a bell sharply.
"Has Casey come back" be asked of
the boy who responded.
"No, sir"
"Send him here when he comes"
scowled Skiff, and he lighted another
cigar
BY the time Tim Casey's huge bulk
darkened the Office doorway Skiff Bah
cock had smoked himself into a fit Of
cold anger, tempered only by his favor
tie maxim that Every man has his
price"
That this was true to a degree In
Skiff Babcock's political circle account
ed for his self-confldence to settle the
case Of Tim Casey off hand
you wanted me?" grinned Tim
Casey good naturally.
Skiff frowned up at the big, hand
some young lrishman, whose every
muscle was tense with strength and
vitality. Tins blue eyes sparkled and
his white teeth shone. Life was good
sport to the hard working truck driver.
81 saw you on Sixth avenue this
noon," blurted forth Skiff. This was
not the way he had intended to open
the subject.
II guess wasn't breaking no speed
limits" grinned Tim. "That gray
horse amt got the grit to cart heavy
dry goods. He ought to be put on the
ostrich feather route"
"You wasn't carting that kind of
dry goods up the avenue. What do you
mean by loafng around when you
ought to be on your job, eh?"
Casey's back stiffened and his blue
eyes narrowed.
at was noon hour" he said sharply.
"Where was the truck"
Here IN the stable"
Seems to me you can get around
pretty fast when you've mind to-"
nrnrrlnl Gl,iff na hn ctndlnd tho tir,,n