Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 27, 1925 — page 17: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE CALL OF SHINING STEEL. the smallest aperture, Zeb called each one true. The doctor finished. “ Boy, you have the sharpest pair of eyes that I've tested in many a day.” He paused. “ And the finest body.” The old doctor laid his hand on Zeb’s shoulder. ‘Son, let me give you a word of advice. I’ve seen a lot of men come here. You’ve got a body to be proud of. Don’t abuse it. Keep away from the drink —and the women—and you'll work your way up to the finest position on the rail- road. You're O. K. as far as being physi- cally fit to go to work. I hope you'll be as good a man next time I examine you. Good morning.” While Jim chattered along at a great rate on the way back down toward the depot, Zeb had little to say. The old doc- tor with his kindly face and fatherly man- ner, had made a big impression on him and over and over in his mind he repeated the words—‘‘ Keep away from the drink— and the women!” The car stopped before the depot. They walked over to “Hands & Company,” the commissary. Here Zeb got a suit of overalls, shoes, leather gloves and the other clothing that Jim suggested. The clerk jotted the items down, gave him a copy of the bill and Zeb, rather astonished at the fact that a stranger would trust him with all those goods and receive nothing in return, looked at Jim for enlightenment. ‘“How comes they never asked me for no money nor anything?” “ Oh,” explained Jim, “I stood for you. You see, it’s like this. Hands & Com- pany furnish any one on the pay roll with anything they want. Then they tum the bill into the timekeeper and it comes out of your check. They settle with the company and the railroad rakes out about ten per cent for their trouble. It’s a graft, but,” Jim shrugged his shoulders philosophically, ‘“‘if they don’t get your money, some one else will.” “ But,” Zeb persisted, ‘suppose I ain’t got no check a comin’?”’ “Don’t worry, kid. They won't lose any- thing. They’ll take your bill out of mine as I stood for you, I’m standing for you 811 all the way. And, Zeb, I want you to just use my room as long as you have a mind to, and my clothes or anything. Just consider them yourn till you get a pay day. Let’s see. This is the first day after pay day. You’ve got a long wait. You won’t draw a cent till the twentieth of next month. Then you'll get paid for what you made this month. You'll need a few bones to sorter keep a going.” Jim reached into his pocket, pulled out a ten-dollar bill and shoved it into Zeb's hand. To his protests he only laughed. “No, that’s all right. Let me know if you want any more. Pay me_back if you ever feel like it and if you don’t, we're square. I owe you a lot more.” Zeb glanced at the bill. ‘“ Jim,” he said, “ye sure are clever to me. Here I am, a wearin’ your best clothes and a watch ye heve give me and now this yere money. I feel like as. though I was a runnin’ over you. I ain’t never felt so before to nary person and, Jim, mebbe ye had better take yer watch back. I know it costs a heap of money, a watch like this yere un.” “I never knew it when I got that watch,” was the rejoinder. “ All you have to do when you want a watch is to go get an order from the timekeeper and go up- town to the official jeweler and he gives you any watch you want. Of course, he charges a little extra, but it comes out of your checks in four or five payments. Be- sides, Zeb, you need a clock and you sure have earned all I can do fer you. That’s why I’m fixing everything up for you.” Zeb began to realize the meaning of pay day, a general settling up of debts con- tracted during the month, a small bit left to spend for a few days, then broke and running on credit. Most of the railroad men counted the days till the next time “‘ the eagle screamed.” Extravagance, silk shirts, patent leather shoes, fine clothes, expensive cigars, were in evidence wherever the two went, from group to group, from the depot to the poolroom, from Ring’s back to the hotel. Zeb whose whole life bad been a struggle to gain enough to eat, thought ruefully when he refused a cigar or the surreptitious bot- tle of corn whisky in the rear of the fruit GOMmilGooo () SS Co