The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-05-27
BROWN OF NEVADA.


of Nevadag"
The general salesman jumped and opene
wide his eyes, as he always did when MI
i Hardscrabble called his attention to anything
and concentrated all his energies upon pal
2 of tweed coat tails vanishing into the portal
8 OF the rival jobbing house opposite.
"By gracious!' he said, Pm afraid II .
Brown OF Nevada"
That's the second time to-day he's gone Int
' Scrimmages, said Mr.. Hardscrabble. "Jus
t look up Pillikin, will you, and send him Int
the Office
The general salesman went in search Of Nh
IPillikln with peculiar "mlsery-loves-com
pany" expression, and found him looking
piteously IN the face of q Texas man wh(
wanted his goods at ninety days, twelve pei
lcent. lower than the cost of importation, anC
the privilege of sending back at the firms ex
Ipense, some goods that he wanted to take or
trial. The Texas man balted poor Pillikin tC
the verge of desperation, and walked out o.
the store with the passing remark that he'c
look in again.
Even the soul Of the general salesman-anC
as a general thing this kind Of soul IS MOI
made of wax-melted at the haggard visagt
of PillikIn when he told HIM that MIR. Hard
scrabble wanted to see him in the office. Ye
to save his life ne couldn't help adding, al
PlllIkin went dejectedly to obey the summons
that Hardscrabble had just seen Brown Of Ne
vada going into SCrimmage's. The general
salesman had so often felt this sort of an iron
enter into his own soul, he couldn't help as
sistlng to probe others.
Pilhkin grew deadly pale. "Brown of Ne
vada," he SAID IN a hoarse whlsper-"into
Scrimmages"
at may be only look around" said the
| l;,tI lsto u,
took 1t quite 80 hard MY gracious, man
you've got to be prepared for these things"
1--we had too many of them lately" said
Pillikin. 81 never had such luck IN my life
as I've had this season. Brown of Nevada Is
one of the men | thought | could rely upon
I've been looking tor him all day"
$50 you've slipped up with Brown, have
you?" snarled the senior member, as poor
| Pillikin walked into the office. at appears
to me, Plllikin, you're losing the little vim
that you had last season. How long do you
suppose that we can stand this sort OF thing
If you can't do better than this, you'd better
not come to the store at adjust draw your
salary and stay at home. Are you aware thai
this Is the busy season, the short period when
we are supposed to sell goods? II you'll take
memorandum of this fact it may help you a
little when you see such men as Brown Of Ne
vada gong into Scrimmage's. But the tact Is
we can't blame Brown. He wants live man
to deal with not a wooden one"
A hot flame leaped into the haggard face OF
Pillikin. See here, Mr.. Hardscrsbble," he
said; iii you're not satisfied, tell me so, but
keep civil tongue IN your head l don't al.
low any man to speak in that way to me-"
| "1ou don't, ell ?" roareG Mr.. Hardscrabble.
But Plllikln had turned upon his heel and
walked out of the office, more dead than alive.
The flame had died ont OF his cheeks and left
them paler than before HIS legs trembled
beneath him as he walked on out OF the store
| The general salesman who had delivered the
message from IIardscrabble, remarked to an.
other general salesman that poor Pillikin
must have caught II pretty hard; he looked
all broke up"
| Poor Pillikin walked on to the ferry with
his head IN awhrl OF disappointment, chagrin,
fear and doubt. His reply to the senior mem
Der would undoubtedly lose HIM his situation,
as they would be glad to get rid of him now
that his valuable trade was falling Off If he
could have held on to Brown of Nevada all
would have been we'll and without Brown of
Nevada, what would he be worth elsewhere?
How could he support his wife and children
ana his Wlfe'S widowed sister and her little
boy making nine Of them in all, upon any
salary he could get without the trade of Brown
OF Nevada? He was already IN debt ana
some o! the bills must be- settled at once; his
account was Overdrawn at the store. 1t made
him shudder to think of it, The cabin of the
ferry boat was sitting. In spite of the lower
ing clouds and piercing wind, he made his
way out on the forward deck, and as he saw
the black waves of che East river surgIng
against the Shiny sides of the boat, he was
strongly tempted to do away with all further
trouble for party called PllIkin.
While the temptation assaied him, the
chains ratified, the newsboys' cries were heard
on the Brooklyn side, the boat bumped against
the dock, the crowd pushed HIM along, and he
found himself ploddlng his homeward way
He couldn't bear the depressing influence of
The horsecars, so he trudged along on foot, a
fierce March sleet beginning to beat upon the
only high hat he owned in the world. 1t was
utterly impossible to buy another, but Pill
kin didn't care. He probably wouldn't need
high hatln the menlal employment he would
be compelled to accept when he was kicked
out OF Hardscrabble ~ Co.'S. ana had lost the
trade OF Brown of Nevada When he at last
reached home his fingers were so numb with
cold he could hardly get the key IN the door,
but this didn't matter in the least Several
young and energetic parties ran to let him In !;
his plump little wife took his coat and kissed
law took his hat and cane and kissed him: a
ha =. 'n r.'-, ".'l ''u- lrl MP Their maulh~
10 be kissed. The dining room was warm anu
cosy there were his chair and slippers waiting
Tor him by the open fire; an inviting meal was
wasting its unctuous odor in the halls below.
My love-" said his wife, "how very late you
arer
My dear" said his wifes sister, I'VE were
SO afraid you'd gone off with some of those
horrid customers. You know You expected
Brown OF Nevada"
80, dear Jo-my husband, my love, my
darling-what is the mattery"
For poor 10 Fillikin had sunk into chair,
put his head upon the table and burst into
tears
IL was weak and unmanly, perhaps, but he
had eaten nothing since breakfast, had been
badgered and worried, and on his feet all day /;
! the March wind had pierced to the marrow of