THE HESPERIAN
DINGUS.
Dingus was such aa ugly, grave-faced,
old sort of boy that the lady clerks called
him " 'Mister" at first, and asked a favor of
him only when they "wanted something down
from the highest shelf. Then it was "Mr.
Marks, can't yon get me those blankets,
please?' ' And Dingus would come, swing
himself up "hand over hand" as they said,
and spring down again with the blankets on
his back, dumping them gravely on the
counter, bowing nervously, but always
politely, and fairly scampering back to ar
range over again for the tenth time that day,
perhaps, his "Elegant assortment of Rings,
Bracelets and all kinds of fine Jewelry.'"
Mr. Stoker had given him a trial as a
cash-boy, bat though he could play leap
frog over the stools almost as fast as the
other boys could run, he was not to be re
lied upon to bring back the right change or
package; and half the time he was off down
to the center stand gloating over the jewelry
cases. So, to give him another chance,
they put him there. He seemed thoroughly
satisfied then, and Mr. Stoker said he was
glad to find someone at last who could keep
that stock looking bright and mew, even if
he was smaller than a clerk really ought to
be and was always get?ing has bills wrong.
One thing, though, Dingus liked even
belter than fussing with his jewelry. When
they were very busy at the wrapping stand,
they'd send for him. Then all his agility
came into play. He had a trick of jumping
up to catch the string in his teeth, an antic
5jat made Miss Jonas send dovm the "zrr&zig
"dhiiTige more than once. Someone had to
stand hj him always, tkongk, to put things
in the right bundles, and send the bundles
to the right places- Once he sent Mrs. Dr.
Araot's twenty -five yards of white brocaded
satin to old Mrs,. Haggeriy. They called
him to the office the next day to scold him,
iuud he looked sheepish and scared, scratch
ing his ear in that grave, nervous way of
las, and went tfrisMng ilomi the stairs to his
.glittering beauties again.
It was Mike, the lanky, red -headed de
livery boy who had first called him "Din
gus" to his face, though "the scribbler,'
one of the office clerks, was responsible for
the name. And because it fit so well we all
took it up, and Dingus grer used to it and
didn't care. But there was war between
him and Mike. Because Dingus took great
pride in keeping his glass cases shining like
mirrors, Mike made it a point to stop there
and somehow get the dust from his coat on
the counters and make long greasy paths
across the glass with his grimy fingers.
Wc never saw Dingus really laugh until
one day when he and Mike had a little tiff,
and Mike went off swearing to the back of
the store, nursing a red spot on his cheek.
Dingus went behind his oonntcrs, hugged
himself up on his stool and laughed silently
and inteusely, his queer old face gathering
into clumps of wrinkles. But soon he look
ed as grave as ever over the case, as he
handed a blue-set breast pin to a young
woman with green feathers in her hat
The "scribbler" said then that he was
going io buy a little red cap and jacket for
that boy, and a toy gun, and send him off
to join the circus.
1L
The next morning, just as I was dusting
my desk, Uncle Bob the "-chore man" or
""slave" as the "scribbler" called him, came
slowly panting up the stairs. In his usual
slow and awkward fashion, he untied his
bright blue scarf and hung it carefully on
the hook that we had left for it always dur
ing the last three winters. For we knew
his little Annie made it for him just before
she died. Then as he stretched his old
seamy hands over the radiator, he said, in
his slow way: "Guess theai j'oungsters is
goin' to have war again, Miss. Leastways
that Make, he's got it in for Willie Marks"
""Heard 'em talkin' last night when I
was gett3n' ready to sweep. They've all
swore to be mean to Willie Marks as they
was to Tommie Jordan. But that little
feller, what's his name1? with iha yeller hair
he stood tip for Willie Marks like a good