Year: 1876

I =
|


It is the way OF the world to blsm
a wOman-some woman or other


for most things that go wrong witt
men. Not 70 be out OF fashion, |
might as we'll begin by saying tina
Molly was at the bottom of M
trouble. There wasn't a sweeter girl
nor prettier, IN New York city thai
Molly used to he and there isn't :
better little wife in the world (if dG
say it that shOuldn't than she 4
now. As 10 sll she knew about IL, M
baby could have been more innocent
but, all the same, it was for her sake
got myself into the toughest scrap'
ever l was In, before or since.


1t was nigh upon Christmas, yoU
see, and / wanted Molly for my
Christmas gift. 1 wasn't doubtful
about getting her, for we'd kept COM
pany long enough TO know each 9th.
er's mind, and didn't expect her tC
say mo" WHEN / asked her to be my
wife. But didn't want to ask hel
till ! had the engagement ring all
ready to slip on her finger as sOOh as
she said the word. And I'd set my
heart on giving her the sort of ring
tnat would please her. She had a
nice taste about such things, and new
er wore any OF those flAshy French
| gilt gewgaWs some women dangle
about 'em. The little brooch and ear
drops that she always wore land
wears 'sm still were pure gold, and
the stones in 'em were small, to be
sure, but they We're real amethysts.
They had been her mothers before
her, and Molly thought so much OF
them that / was sure nothing else
would please her so well as an ame-
tbyst ring to match.


had had my eye on one for don't
know how long, in 8 Broadway
window. 1t was lovely purple color
and clear as water, the stone itself /;
and the gold setting was fine and deli
cate, just what she liked, 1 knew.
The price was twenty five dollars, and
that was was where the hitch came,
for hadn't the money and ennldn't
beg it nor borrow it from the best
friend / had in the world.


They were hard times, you see, for
men that depended ON the city for q
living. Twas a Government official
in q small way, and there'd been 9
grand row among the big wigs, that
made things shake for all OF us. I
hadn't anything to do with the plum
der, Lord knows, and never made q
cent out of my place that / wasn't
honestly entitled to. But suspicion
was the order of the day, and reform
was the cutlery; aud all sorts OF
charges were made right and left.
Some of 'em were for the better, may
be; thero were plenty more that
served no honest purpose, and brought
good men into cruel trouble. had
the luck TO keep my place, while n lot
Of the fellows all round me were dis
charged and mighty good luck 1
thought it.


wasn't so jolly after q while when
two or three months went by, and /
had plenty of bard work but no salary
to show for it. Under the old rule
they were very regular about the pay
rolls, and every employe of the city
got his warrant for his months salary
on the last day Of the month. All
that was changed by the reform
party, and nobody was to be paid any,
thing at all, it appeared. There was
so much corruption. HOrdes OF men
drawing salaries they had never earn
ed The city treasury emptied to
swell the pockets Of thieves Down
with the frauds Put q stop 20 the
plunder (!


There was a deal OF fine talking and
and no end Of Investigation :" snd
meanwhile, hard.working men, about
whose honesty no question could be
raised, were kept out of their just
dues month after month. The straits
they were put to sometimes were
cruel enough. I've seen q man get
white and faint at his desk from
sheer hunger; had four months
salary due bin and not cent in his
pocket to buy q penny roll ! Most
of them had families, and were half
distracted at seeing them suffer. But
1t was all in the name OF reform, and
q fine name covers a multitude Of
sins.


I Ifelt pretty bitter as the time went
on and there was no sign Of any pay,
only more work put upon US sll the
while, and q lot of petty rules 20
mind that made a fellow feel like
slave under an overseer. was In
debt to my landlady and my washer
woman, and the cobbler that mended
my boots. I couldn't even take Mol
ly q paper OF sugar plums or a bunch
Of flowers when / went to see her
and hardly got the chance to go to
see her once q week, for the night
work was piled upon US without any
law to show for IL.


The fellows gTumbled and swOre,
bat that didn't mend matters and
things were looking blue enough for
me, when one day came q rumOr that
salaries were to be paid at last. It
turned out t. be true, at least, that
something was to be paid on account I;
and when the day came you bet was
on hand, all alive. There was q
crowd OF hungry men outside the
peymaster's counter. Nobody knew
for certain whose name would be
called, or how much anybody would
get OF what was due him. We all
waited for our chance, aud the
chances went dead against me.


When the payroll OF our Office was
called, there were about two out o.
five on the list, and I wasn't one of
the lucky ones. / had waited two
hours for my turn, and waited for
nothing and the evil one came into
me as / stood there, hungry and
tired, with my hands in my empty
pockets aud thought of the money
that belonged TO me and couldn't
get. A name was called FROM another
psy-rOll-the name of man l knew,
and / knew he wasn't there to answer
il.


"GeOrge MeriWether 90 sung out
the paymaster. "Step up here, sir,
and be quick about it."


The evil one was In me, as said,
aud he took me to the counter quicker
than q flash. There was something
said sll in tumble, then an order to
bold up my hand and 8 Bible pushed
in front of me for my affidavit.


HGeOrge MeriWether - sOlemnly
swear and vOw-peIsOn herein de-
scribed-faithfuIly fulfilled duties
best OF your knowledge and bvlief-so
help you God :"


l kissed the Bible, signed George
Me-iRether's name, and walked OF
with 8 check for seventy-6ve dollars
that didn't belong to me, all in 8
jitiy aud nobody raised q finger to
hinder me. The next thing was to
get the check certified, and l walked
round to the auditors desk and
brushed it under Mr.. Blacklock's
nose.


"Will You please certify to this
/ eiOnafnrn f0r mo air oif