Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-07-04

nothing TO be done but to return the
wish ruefully and go out.
snow there is something wrong"
said Mr.. Hicks TO himself, as he stood
on the pavement outside Mr.. Burslem's
door. my two best customers, and no
orders! / never knew 1t before, never!
Who can it beP Young Jones was here
two months back and got forty pound
odd in orders. And i, Joseph Hicks,
tho chief traveller TO Hooker ~ Smoker,
am told that there's nothing for me!
"My good man." too, forsooth! 81 must
try Mr.. Cole"
He entered Mr.. Coles shop. Mr..
Cole was not there. but appeared in a
few minutes. Mr.. Hicks went through
his formula. Mr.. Cole replied imme-
diately: mot today, Hooker 81 Smoker.
I'm supplied"
"Suppliedr' almost shrielSed Mr..
Hicks.
"Yes, suppliedr' said Mr.. Cole, but
not syllable more.
Mr.. Hicks was now fairly reused.
Suddenly, the recollection of his tale in
the Commercial Room on the preceding
evening flashed before him. Could some
of the young fellows have been playing
him q trick similar i'm nature to thai
which he had played so many years be-
fore on young Brownsville Sitting
his anger and modification as best he
could he strobe on to the shop of his last
customer, Mr.. Ironstone.
Nothing to day, Hooker Il Smoker"
T.. .olr
could put the question.
"Mr. Ironstone," said the astonished
Hicks, in an almost pathetic tone of ap'
peal, twill you tell me il any one ha:
been before me, and has done the bust.
ness which hitherto Hooker & Smoker
have performed for youp"
"Hooker q Smoker still do our bust
ness" said Mr.. Ironstone.
"Well, but represent 'cm." said Mr.
Hicks.
"Come. come" said the dealer, sooth
ingly, as If he was speaking to child
"don't take up my time, there's good
fellow. I've told you that have no or
ders, so go away quietly, or l shall bt
obliged to call your keeper"
"My whatP My kceperp' roared Mr.
Hicks. "What do you mean, STRIP
Surely you don't think I'm a lunaticp'
~ doa't think it; I'm sure of i'll
knoD it." replied Mr.. Ironstone, and
coming round the counter he gently took
Mr.. Hicks by the arm, led him from the
shop, and shut the door after him.
Mr.. Hicks stood rs one dazed for some
seconds. The buildings seemed to rec
around him, and he felt that with a little
more he would actually be out of hi:
mind. Then he strobe back to the inn
resolved to make terrible example o.
the plotters that evening.
He was very moody and silent a.
dinner, and the young fellows saw thai
something had gone wrong with him, q;
he scowled terribly over his food, and
only answered with fierce grunts the
questions put to him. Afterwards, when
according to custom, the chairs were
drawn round the fire and the best par,
of the day begun, Mr.. Hicks rose
maiestically and assuming his usua
position in front of the fire, prefaced hi,
thunders with loud "Ahem!'
"Gentlemen, it is with regret, strongly
mixed with disgust, that l am forced u
address you upon certain subject--upor
q subject which is rs disagreeable to mt
as il must be humiliating to such of yor
as are concerned. In short, some of you
taking mean advantage of my attempt
to amuse you list night, ave been play
ing me under rand trick"
The gentlemen thus addressed tool
their pipes from their mouths and gazeC
at Mr. Hicks with amazement.
He continued: "The day for that sor
of thing has gone by, and it i'll becomes
members of an honored profession to in
dulge in tricks of which schoolboy
would be ashamed. To be plain witt
you, gentlemen, have been passed of
in the town as lunatic, and consequent
ly have found the doors of my most i'm
portant customers shut against me-"
In spite of the serious manner in which
Mr.. Hicks spoke, there was very per
ceptible Singer on the faces of the young
men around him, which he was not slow
to observe.
:" / see nothing to laugh at in it, gen
tlemen," he continued, suppressing will
difficulty his rising wrath Gin fact, there
are some of you who will probably have
very good reasons for regrettin' it whcr
| tell you that unless find out which o.
you is the offender l shall write to YOU
respective governors, with view of hav
ing the matter thoroughly gone into"
One and all declared that they wer,
utterly ignorant of the matter, and will
such energetic protestations against the
iniquity of the trick, that Mr.. Hicks wa:
forced to believe them.
/" Perhaps the little old gentleman
who was writing at the side-table las
night knows something about it," sug
gested one of the accused.
Mr.. Hicks rang the bell for the walter
Waiter" he said, sis the gentleman
who came in here from the COTE room
last night in the 'ouseP'
Z" Mr.. Brownsmith, sir-O no, sir; he
went away this mornin' and he give mt
this note to give TO you, not before thi!
evenin'," replied the waiter.
"Mr. Brownsmith! Is that his name?
cried Hicks, in faint voice.
Eyes, SIR" answered the waiter. "Hs
owns half the town, sir, and was here
looking arter his property"
Mr.. Hicks opened the note and read
rs follows:
my DEAR SIR: You wero good enough
some forty years ago, to play me trick which
might have ruined any other man for life, Of
at least have retarded his progress very seri
ously. am not very viudictive; bat never
forgave you for II, more especially US ! have
had no opportunity of repaying you. We ar,
ut last quits. You are beyond the reach o
actual harm now, rs presume you have foath
cred your nest pretty comfortably In forty
years. but as man Is never too old to learn
lesson, 1 hope by the return trick have played
you this morning that you have learned one
am, sir, your obcdent servant,
SAMUEL BROwNsMITH."
Chambers Journal