Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1882-08-05

was all the money he had in the bank
ThenI began to get scared and cried;
and then l told Mr.. McLane all about
pa and "Jones & Co." and what we
wanted to do with the money, and that
would pay it back to him; and ahe
looked kinder puzzled, and asked me
what pas name was, and 1 told him and
where the store was, and all about ma
and Maud, and how the baby died. L
guess that was not very much like bust
ness, and / don't know what Mr.. McLane
wanted to know all that for. Then he
looked at me again, and I guess he
wasn't going to let me have the money,
when q gentleman at the other desk
came up to where / was sitting on q
chair. and Nj. McLane said: =
"Well, Flood, what do you think of
| this young merchant ?"N "a
And then knew it wasfhe rich Mr..
Flood, and I looked into his eyes, and
he said:
"Let her have the money ; will en-
dorse her note"
Then I jumped up and kissed him,
and he kissed me and Mr.. McLane
made a note for ninety days. and I
igned "Jones & Co.." and Mr.. Flood
wrote his name on the back of it. I
took the money away in canvas bag
that Mr.. McLane said must bring
back, and took the money to pa and
didn't he look surprised when poured
out the great big twenty-dollar gold
pieces on the counter. Then I told
him what had happened at the bank,
and when I asked him if he didn't
think was q pretty good business
woman after all, guess he felt real
ashamed.
After this never saw anything like
| it-such lots of carriages and such nice
ladies kept coming every day., and
most all of them traded with me,
and pa was just as happy as he could
be. Jones & Co. was making lots of
money. When I took Mr.. Floods
money back, I Just marched right
through the bank, past the big coun-
ters, into Mr.. McLans's room, and I
took very good care to let the clerk
that laughed at me before see the bag.
Mr.. Flood was in there, and Mr.. Nc
Lane and I opened the bag. Mr.. Flood
came up and laughed, and Mr.. McLane
, laughed, and l heard Mr.. Flood tell
Mr.. McLane they would have the lunch
to-day. And then Mr.. Flood told me
if I wanted to borrow money again. not
to go to any other banks, but come to
his; and thanked him. and Mr.. Nc
Lane brought my note cancelled by a
great blue "Paid " stamped across the
face, right over where l wrote STONES
& Co." Then I told Mr.. Flood that
when we felt able to send for ma /
should come over and borrow some
more money, because I wanted to buy q
house for ma and Maud, so that they
wouldn't have to go into any more
nasty boarding-houses, and Mr.. Flood
said ! should have all the money /
wanted.
When we sent for ma and Maud,
grandpa gave them the money to come
and SO we didn't have to borrow any
more and we took nice cottage, not
very near the store, for pa didn't want
ma to know about Jones & Co., though
/ was Just crazy to tell her. For several
days we fooled her. She thought pa
had store down town, and was going
to school. I told lots of fibs about
being detained at school, going down
town, and all sorts of stories to account
for being home late. One day who
should l see coming into. the store
but ma.
"Have you any pearl shirt buttons,
little girl?' said ma. ~.
ssYes, ma'am," said !, looking her
right square in the eye.
Goodness, gracious" !" said ma. "Is
that you, VevieT 81 ~ &N
1 said, "Beg pardon, ma'am. what
did you want% And then ma looked
at me again. ts s.
had store apron. on ald q small
cap like French girl and because 1
wasn't very high pa bought me pair Of
wooden brogans, with felt buttons, into
which I slipped my feet, and they made
me four or five inches taller; and ma
stared at me, and then laughed and
said: . s41 t.sT
"Oh, beg your pardon, little girl
you look so much like my daughter
Genevieve that I thought you were
her,"
Then I heard pa snicker down behind
the counter. He had seen ma come in
and he hid. Just al soon as ma went
out pa jumped up and laughed and
said Snatch off your apron and cap,
We've, and run round the block and get
home before your mother" ~ sl
ibid SO. and when ma got home she
was the most surprised person you ever
saw. We knew this thing wouldn't last,
and SO that night we told ma all about
the house Of "Jones & Co.," and ma
kissed pa and said he was noble fell