American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-08-12
Collecting a Debt.

Mr.. Spiggs, u fat man, of Summer
Street, owed Mr.. Shrimp, the grocer
and provision dealer, bill which the
latter gentleman was anxious to collect,
but which, for some trivial reason, the
fat man had declared he would settle
when he got ready, and not minute
before. This saucy independence on
the part of Spiggs irritated the grocer's
nature to such an extent that, finally,
he made the bold statement to his book
keeper that if he didn't mortify Spiggs
into paying that bill within thirty days
he would sell out his business to him
for fifty cents on the dollar.
The next afternoon Spiggs was pass
ing the store on the opposite side of the
street, when Shrimp ran to the door
and yelled:
"Come in here and pay that bill of
yours, and don't go sneaking down the
street with your head hung down like
sheep!'
Spiggs took no notice of this demand,
which seemed only to heighten the
creditors Indignation.
The following day he saw Spiggs
down town in company with friend,
when he approached him and said:
"You're pretty man to be wearing
a beaver hat, and here you are owing
me for the victuals you and your family
stuffed yourselves with last Thanks
giving!"
Returning home he encountered one
of Spiggs's daughters on her way with
an associate to take music lesson, when
he said:
81 should think, young lady, that
you would rather go without knowing
how to play and sing till your father
gets so that he can pay for what you
eat.''
A day or two later, he saw, through
the window, one of Spiggs's sons getting
measured at the tailors for suit of
clothes, when he opened the door and
said:
"Don't you trust him day for those
clothes. His father has owed me $50 40
for sirloin steak and such things for over
six months, and 1 can't get one dollar
of it.''
Soon after this he saw Mrs. Spiggs
and her daughter chatting with some
ladies in the horse-car station, when
he entered and said:
ssThis woman's husband owes me for
the soap that was used in washing that
collar she's got on her neck, and want
my pay for it."
About a week later he saw Spiggs
riding out with a clergyman, when, af-
ter reckoning him to stop, he said:
"You ought to be ashamed of your
self! Here you are passing yourself off
to this Minister of the Gospel for an
honest man, when you are owing me
for the starch used in doing up your
shirt bosom.'
The next evening Shrimp called at
the house of Spiggs to see if he was
ready to settle his bill, but Spiggs was
away. Mrs. Spiggs was at home, how
ever, entertaining some of her lady
friends at The tea table. Shrimp push
ed his way into the dining-room, and
said:
''Ladies, the family whose hospitality
you are now enjoying owes me for the
flour that those hot biscuits there, on
the center of the table, are made from,
and should like to get my money for
it most confoundedly well"
Passing out of the gate he met Mr..
Spiggs's Oldest daughter in company
with young man whom he suspected
was her affianced, when he said:
stThat girls cheek wouldn't look SO
plump and fat if it hadn't been for me.
1 have been letting her have all the
fresh doughnuts and bologna sausage
she wanted for the past six months,
and the bill hasn't been paid yet"
The young man looked as though he
felt ashamed to be found in such COM
pany, and was commencing to move
down the street, when the young lady
gave wild shrek and fell senseless to
the sidewalk. He came back and as
sisted her into the house, and that night
Spiggs came in and paid his bill in full,
with a liberal interest thereto.-DG,s-
bury Nesos.