Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-03-15

Nothing for Hooker & Smoker" re-
piled Mr.. Willow, solemnly.
Nothing, Mr.. Willow, nothing. Are
you quite sure?' asked Mr.. Hicks, some
what astonished. 81
eve said nothing, l think" said Mr..
Willow. I'm busy. Please, go away,
there's a good mans
Mr.. Hicks left the shop slowly and
wonderingly. ''Surely." he thought, as
he wadd!ed on to his next customer
surely, no ones been interfering with
Hooker & Smoker. No orders from
Willow! It's unaccountable."
He entered the shop of Mr.. Burs.
lem, who, not being patronized by
Royalty, preferred not to be patron
lied by one, and who had the repu-
tation of being a curt, sharp, short
man of business. Mr.. Hicks entered,
and on the principle that time is money,
did not detail his business. merely in
Dictated the name of Hooker & Smoker,
and stood with disorder book ready
open.
Nothing at all, my good man. said
Mr.. Burslem-''nOthing at all-Good-
morningr
Nothing att began Mr.. Hicks,
fairly bewildered.
mo; nothing at all. GOod-morning,
put in Mr.. Burslem, so that there was
nothing to be done but to return the
wish ruefully and go out,
''Now 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! I never knew it before, never!
Who can it be? Young Jones was here
two monthssback and got forty pound
odd in orders. And I, Joseph Hicks,
the chief traveller to Hooker & Smoker,
am told that there's nothing for me!
''My good man, " too, forsooth! ''Imust
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 to-day, Hooker & Smoker.
s.Suppliedr' almost shrieked Mr..
Hicks.
Eyes, suppliedr' said MIR. 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
him a trick similar in nature to that
which he had played so many years be-
fore on young Brownsmith? Sitting
his anger and modification as best lie
could he strobe on to the shop of his last
customer, Mr.. Ironstone.
''Nothing to day. Hooker & SnooEIer,"
said Mr.. IrOnstOne before MIR. Hicks
! could put the question.
GCM,s Iron - caiH tho aStOOiSho6
Hicks, in an almost pathetic tone of ap-
peal, 'will you tell me if any one has
been before me, and has done the bust
ness which hitherto Hooker & Smoker
have performed for you?''
''HOoker & Smoker still do our bust
ness" said Mr. Ironstone.
''Well, but represent en-" said Mr..
Hicks.
''COme, come,'' said the dealer, sooth-
ingly, as if he was speaking to a child;
don take up my time, there's a good
fellow. I've told you that have no or
ders, so go away quietly, or l shall be
obliged to call your keeper"
"My whatP My keepern' roared Mr..
Hicks. ''What do you mean, sir?"
Surely you don't think I'm lunatic?"
al don't think it; Pm sure of i'll
bnOaO 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 as one dazed forsome
seconds. The buildings seemed to reel
around him, and he felt that with little
more he would actually be out of his
mind. Then he strobe back to the inn,
resolved to make terrible example of
the plOtters that evening.
He was very moody and silent at
dinner, and the young fellows saw that
something had gone wrong with him, as
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 part
of the day begun, Mr.. Hicks rose
maiestically and, assuming his usual
position in front of the fire, prefaced his
thunders with loud ''Ahemr'
"Gentlemen, it is with regret, strongly
mixed with disgust, that [ am forced to
address you upon certain ubject--upOn
a subject which is as disagreeable to me
as it must be humiliating to such of you
as are concerned. In short, some of you,
taking a mean advantage of my attempt
to amuse you last night, ave been play
ing me under aud trick
The gentlemen thus addressed took
their pipes from their mouths and gazed
at Mr. Hicks with amazement.
He continued: 1.-The day for that sort
of thing has gone by, and it i'll becomes
members of an honored profession to in
dulge in tricks of which a schoolboy
would be ashamed. To be plain with
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 againstme.
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.
I see nothing to laugh at in it, gen
tlemen,' he continued. s1ppressing with
difficulty his rising wrath; Tin fact, there
are some of you who will probably have
very good reasons for regrettin' it when
I tell you that unless find out which of
YOU is the offender shall write to your
respective governors, with view of hav.
ing the matter thoroughly gone into"
One and all declared that they were
utterly ignorant of the matter, and with
such energetic protestations against the
iniquity of the trick, that Mr.. Hicks was
forced to believe them.
'' Perhaps the little old gentleman
who was writing at the side-table last
night knows something about it, sug-