Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1851-08-26
Selling n Fellow.
By XRITnmETicAL PROGRESSION.


Las; summer while engaged 10 the tobac-
co and cigar business, | used TO have for
customer in cheap cigars one ofthose know
ing fellows whose knowledge serves better
TO bore his victims than advancing science.
You couldn't make him believe that-oh,
no. Tell him they were regaia cigars that
cost $40 per thousand!-it might DO To stuff
down the throsts Of those who knew no bet
ter; he was none Of them. And so il was
with everything; he always knew best. IL
slways appeared TO be his delight 10 draw me
into some controversy, no matter what the
subject. 10 order TO hear himself hold forth.
4 tried every way could think OF 10 circum-
vent him, and at length ! did sncceed ia lay
ing him OUT fiat as a founder.
IL was on Saturday afternoon, he came in,
made his purchase, and seated himse II, to
deal me out his usual portion; bGi was a
wake for him.
Captain said /, i have mrde up my
mind to go 10 California, and if you wish to
20 into specula loo, COW is your time.'
AS how! 'aid he.
why. you see them fifteen boxes of ci-
gars! we'll, there are two hundred and fifty in
each box, and will let you take them all
Very WELL, said my friend, 'et's hear the
conditions
You give me one cent for the first box
two cents for the second, four cents for the
third, and so on double up on every box
Done. said he; fetch on your cigars. -
Spose you think haven't money enough
eh!'
Not d, al, SO let's proceed; here's the
first box
lie drew from his pocketa eathern puIse.
and out OF it handful Of coin.
tAnd here's your cent said he, deposiilng
green discolored copper on the couner.
Here's your second box,
And here's your TWO cents.
Very well; here's your third box
And here's your four cents said he
chuckling.
Hers your foullh box
Exactly. And here's your eight cents!
Ha! hs. ha ha! old feIlow--go on
Here's your filth box said ], handing
down another.
And here's your sirtcen cents
And here's your sixth box.
'Aud--ha. ha! ha'--her's your thirty two
cents.
Here's your seventh hox.'
And here--ha! by Joye the Joke is get
ting too rch-here's your sixty tour cents.
aud nearly bali your cigars are gone
Here's your eighth box, said |, assuming
a cool indifference that perfectly astonished
the fellow.
And here's your dollar aud twenty -eight
cents.
Here's your ninth box.
And here's your-lei mo see--ab. two
dollars and fiiiy-six cents
And here's yonr tenth boz
Here he drew his wallet ihoughtfully and
on the slate made small calculation.
And here's your five dollars and twelve
cents
Here's your eleventh box
And here's your--twice five is teb, twice
twelve is twenty lour-teu dollars and TWEEN
~ four cents
Al this slsge ofIhe game lie had got quite
docie, and corlinued-
Here's your twelfth box; hand over twcn-
~ dollars and forty eight cents.
Here the globules of petspiratiop, large as
marrow fat peas. stood out in bold relief on
his face, but at length he doled out the sum.
Here's yonr thirteenth box-fork over
your forty dollars aud ninety six cents.
AT this crisis he looked perfectly wild
The sweat was pouring off him in streams
and tho Tobacco juice was running out Of his
mouth.
F-o-r-i-y nj net y six. II do do,
but if I do may be DID,
And raking his pile into his hat, he crush
1t on his head. and made his exit at a rate of
speed altogether unheard of; and have new
or seen him near enough TO speak TO him
from that day TO this.-[N. Y. Spirit ofthe
Times.