The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-03-26

y { !
around here that we won't show
enough postmortem respect to haul
out by the legs!w
"But sixteen dollars a week, Sam!"
ayes, sixteen dollars week! And
what about sixteen dollars a week?
Suppose Jesus Christ walked into my
Office this afternoon and sat down OPP
posite the exchange table. Suppose
He said to me, Sam Hod, will you
manage somehow to rake together
sixteen measly dollars every Saturday
to loan to Me so that I can help y
poor, perplexed bewildered mother
raise six freckled-faced, hell-raising,
button busting kids?' II just natu1-
ally scrape that money together
somehow, wouldn't I?-for His sake?
Well, I don't mind sayin' that seven
minutes ago, as l sat in that chair
and Mary Purse declared her intcn-
ton O slavin' her life out to put
them half-dozen young wildcats
through SCHOOL, SAW JESUS
CHRIST IN THAT WOMAN'S
FACE! And I'd damned-site rather
lay a few mouldy treasures for my
self in heaven by givin' Mary Purse
sixteen dollars of unnecessary money
every Saturday afternoon than give
double that amount to some of the
churches of this town. I'd rather do
it than help pay minister's grocery
bills or send missionaries to teach the
slant-eyed Japs how to bungle the
Beatitudes or that Moses was He
brew law-maker and not a Canal
street manufacturer Of boys pants!"
Sam was exploding with a ven
geance and when in that condition,
had certain facility with language
He went into the back room and
addressed the force.
Boys" he announced, "Mary
Purse-Jack's wife-is coming back
to work for US. She commences
Monday morning"
Mike Clarity Strengthened up from
his stone.
"WHAT?" he demanded.
81 said Jack Purses widow, who
once graced this hole with her weet
presence, is coming back to pick up
her stick and show US how to set
a few locals so I don't dread the
sickenin'- ring of a telephone bell
every night after support"
Mike said an unholy sentence and
threw down his quoin-key.
f'Then by CAD, I'm about ready to
quit! After all the pie-eyed freaks
I've had wished onto me since l. come
into this place to make over into
printers, to have an old woman
given a place as an object Of
charity-!'
He got no further. Onl-r once in
my life have l known Sam Hod to see
red. He was upon Mike with an oath
and had him by the throat.
"Take it back!-you foul-mouthed,
bleary-eyed, tobacco-spittin' harp!
Act crazy with joy that she's comm
and treat her like a lady or by the
eternal Jehosephat I'll bust you In
the jaw, hammer you against the wall,
grind your ugly mug in the gravei
and stomp on your stomach! Now
then, what is there about this new
comer's position here that you don't
understand? Speak it out now and
speak it out loud. Because if you
open your elongated head about it
after she gets here, it's going to take
more money than Solomon spent on
his immortal meeting house to pay
for the masses said over yoLr snould-
erin soul!'
But Mike had nothing to say, alb
solutely nothing. When Sam I'M
tangled his fingers, the Irishman's
face was pasty. Deprived of Sans
support, he caught himself as he WI
sliding onto his knees.
The Extraordinarily and other
/ wise-drew q long breath. They
+ continued their washing-up with
| strange smiles playing upon theil
faces. From time to time after Sam
had returned to the front office they
cast furtive glances at the suddenly
coweG foreman.
Considering Mikes little idiosyn-
crasies of self-aggran6izemcnt since
he had taken Jacks position and hi
frequent loud-mouthed assertions Of
contempt and independence Of '.he
boss, Sans emotional explosion had
rather smashed Mikes militarism.
), On the whole pleasant time had
been had by all.