boy; the subscribers along Water Street, down toward the coal
tipple, were served by somebody Alfred met going that way.

[Illustration]

When Alfred took charge of the business department he was furnished a
list of the subscribers in the three towns. It was not long until he
lost the list; in fact, he never was guided by the list. None of the
Democrats of any prominence in the town took the paper, but every week,
those holding office would be touched up in the paper. The business
department always took pains to deliver a copy of the paper to one thus
mentioned. If the article were pretty severe Alfred saw to it that all
the family of the one roasted received a copy of the paper.

This kept things stirred up around the office and the town. Alfred
generally distributed the papers to every family whether they subscribed
to it or not. From the outlying districts there came many complaints of
the non-delivery of the paper. The owner of the paper hired a horse and
buggy to trace the business department in its work.

Bob and Mrs. Hubbard owned a malt house and made excellent ale, so it
was said. They were subscribers to the paper. The owner of the paper
visited the Hubbards. The Mrs. was the business end of the firm. After
visiting a little while and sampling a goblet of the ale, the owner of
the paper announced the object of his visit:

"We have a new boy, complaints have come to the office that our readers
are not receiving their papers regularly. How about yours?"

Mrs. Hubbard looked at the owner rather surprised, as she informed him
that she "'adn't noticed the paper around the 'ouse in several weeks."
She said: "I thought you 'ad stopped printing it."

This nettled the owner, who was proud of his paper. "No ma'am! We have
never stopped it but you won't lose nothing, we will run you five weeks
over on the next year's subscription." And he took another glass of ale.

The owner expressed his disappointment that the paper had not been
delivered regularly. He remarked as he sipped at the fresh goblet of
ale the lady had insisted on him taking, "You shall have your paper
regularly hereafter, I shall bring it down myself every Thursday
evening."

"Oh Lor', no, Mr. Urd," the good woman began, "Oh Lor', 'Urd, we
wouldn't 'ave you trouble yourself for hennything. Never mind the paper,
we never reads hit enyhow."

Alfred did not fancy Harrison but was constantly associated with him.
There was a charm about the man for A