The interior journal., 1875-01-22
"r mus, he on a, once, pict ,"he aid !;

81 must he on AZ once, Dick, "he aid !
" we must change clothes directly. You
will he all right for have made every
believe I was you. made q capital
tradcsman, after all. I've sent your
business up wonderfully"
81 am very glad 10 hear u, Jim; I'm
sure IL needed IL. But how about the
butcherr'
40, he has been great nuisance, GER
tainly; but look here, Dick, don't you
be half 50 easy with him. don't believe
he has half the pluck he prctends to
have"
al dol tnop itr' was my rueful
answer; "but II the business is i'm
proving, I shall try to put up with the
annoyance"
"Thats right, Dick. And now good
by. I'm much obliged to you for what
you have done. II fany Of the girls say you
made love to them, you will know that
] am the culprit--only don't you say 80,
but keep the fun up. It's not disagrcea-
BILE work, can assure you. Ha hal ha
nobody would believe you II you were TO
swear IL was me. So good-by, and take
care Of yourself"
With hearty laugh Jim went on his
road, and ], with sad heart, sought my
bed.
] rose very early the next morning and
took down the shutters, - as TO avoid
meeting that horrid butcher. A few
minutes afterward a very pretty girl
came futtering into the shop, and,
with many a pretty smile and simper,
purchased half a pound Of best, fresh
butter.
"why, how dull you are this morning,
Mr.. Perkinsp she exclaimed, with a
pretty, sly glance.
"Dull p ] replied, in dreamy manner.
40, nonsense!' she cried, ait is no
good putting on that modest air, after
the way you behaved yesterday. DO you
know, when you first came here,
we all thought you such a sneak-at
least most of us did but | always said
that you were not 80 demure as you
wished to make out-and the way you
snatched that kiss from me yesterday
proves it,"
go" thought "that is the way
Master Jim has been improving my busi-
ness, is itT'
I looked at the little rosy mouth, and
could not blame him-nay, venturcd to
follow his example, and did so with the
greatest success.
"Do you know" said the young lady,
putting her arms on the counter" dc
you know | have liked you ever since
you thrashed that big bully, Grote, the
butcherg'
"What p I exclaimed, in amazement,
thrashed Grote g'
"Of course you did, when he came
over here swearing he would pull your
nose, o, | did like the cool way in which
you went to meet him and knocked him
down. 1t was splendid"
Could it be possible? Had my twin
brother thrashed the butcher and left me
to reap the glory As if to cenirm my
suspicious, at the very instant Grote ap-
peared in his shop-and, o, his face! 1t
was mass of bruises! l stepped out on
the pavement TO have look at him
closer. On seeing me he bowed politely,
but merely shook my fist at him, and
he retreated rapidly.
can not describe how my business in
creased from that day, and all through
Jim's boldness and lightheartedness.
During the day received letter from
my dear brother, in which he informed
me that he had not lost his money; but
having heard of my misery, he invented
this little plot to save me.
have now several large shops. Jim
has never joined me, he having retired
from the turf, and become a gentleman
farmer. am married, and have large
family. My eldest boy is about to marry
Miss Grote, Grote having become very
good friends with me, and, what is better,
very rich. But, good friends as we are,
have never thought it worth while to in
form him ofh;s Sigh. mistake.