The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-02-07


store?,,' And she confronted Blood with def
ant expression.
Norman. who felt the moral support given by
the presence of another man and the dignity
of having really failed, said gently, We're
taking an inventory. This gentleman repre-
sents Harbert & Froud." He felt that using
the word represents almost gave him mer-
camille standing. Were going to the bottom
of this thing. Don't feel bad, Carry
How can / help feeling bad? I've brought
the money over" And she deftly inserted
small roll of bills into his waisteoat-pocket.
No. no. said Norman, putting the money
hack into her hands and neryousiy but lrnly
closing them over it.
Blood looked OH with conflicting emotions
He was rather afraid of women, regarding
them as beings who did not respect the sacred
nature of invoices and bills of lading and capa-
BILE of endless argument against point def
nitely settled by a trial balance, besides being
the main cause for which money was drawn
out of business and failure invited. He was not
insensible to the value of the money as hard,
incomprehensible asset; but since he had in
yentoried the quinine and glanced at the con-
tents of the remaining shelves, giittering
vision of seventy-five cents on the dollar began
to rise before his commercial Imagination. The
certainty of being ahead of all other creditors
was soothing to at least the amount OF the
other twenty five per cent. Besides, he took
it for granted that the girl owed the money to
the druggist. and meant to inquire into 1t as
soon as she was out of the way. AT present,
having nothing to say, he wisely kept silence,
and regarded Miss Blood with a blank and i'm
passive countenance.
The young woman felt the awkwardness of
the situation, and, saying, Come over and tell
me all about it as soon as you are through,
won't you, Norman !" left the store.
Blood closed the door after her, and said,
looking through the narrow glass, "a good,
square-toed girl; handsome too" Turning
around and pointing to trap-door: " Is that
the way you go down-cellar Z"
"Yes" said Norman CURLY. 1t was not
pleasant for him to hear Carry's good looks
commended, as if she, too, were an article to
| be inventoried.
"What do you keep down there?" said
Blood.
There's nothing there now but some barrels
of whisky" answered the druggist
/ "WhislSy!n said Blood, with sudden inter-
| est. He bent over and pulled up the door by
a leathern thong nailed to one side. A smell
| of damp, musty wood, mixed with a peculiar
aroma which seemed greatly to excite him,
filled the room. why, so it is! but it is diff
ferent from anything l ever smelt before.
| Where's your light?"
! Norman brought him a dingy-chimneyed
Kerosene lamp. Having lighted it. the two de-
scended rude ladder into an oblong cavern
extending under the entire store, and empty
except at one end, where two rows of wooden
hooped barrels were ranged. The men were
obliged to stoop down to avoid the beams of the
floor overhead, which were of round timber
fiattened on the upper side. In some cases the
bark still remained and from nearly all cob
webs hung, white with dust and motionless.
Blood crouched down and counted them.
Twenty eight, said he eagerly. Are they
| all whisky?p
81 believe SC" replied Norman.
Is it yours?"
II suppose it is yours now he replied Bit
terly. Father bought it before he died, to
| make some bitters that's how [ came to have
so much quinine He paid for it, and it took
all the money he had, and I've been in debt
more or less ever since. Then he Joined the
temperance, and ] did too and promised him
the last thing that / would never sell any of it,
and never have"
He ought to have died" rejoined Blood, +" il
he was going to make bitters of real whisky
and 2. & w. quinine.'
He began tapping on the heads of the barrels
"Why, they amt more'n half full !" he cried
what is it?-corn or rye2 1t has the rye
smell, but something queer"
:. / don't know anything about it," said Dow.
ner. 1t was made at the old still over in
Windham. / wish it were all gone. 1t is ac-
cursed stuff and"
He did not finish the sentence, for Blood
cutched his arm in violence and whispered
mysteriously in his ear: where's the stamps
the Government stamps? Is there anything
crooked about this"
" They didn't have TO put any stamps on in
those days." answered he, rather surprised al
his companions expression.
" Do you mean to tell me that this whisky
was made before the WARP said Blood in
measured tones.
Its been here ever since was boy Fa
ther said he got it in SO; and | guess you viii
find a mark on the barrels saying Sc" said tht
druggist, still more surprised.
In fact, on rubbing the head of barrel, ths
words Rye, Windham, 1858, were plainly Wis
ible, burnt into the misty wood. That it should
have evaporated one-haif was no longer
wonder.
Blood excitedly placed the lamp on the 1ool
{ aud mounted the ladder. Going out of The
front door, he looked keenly up and down the
road to assure himself that no emissary of
rival creditor wDs IN sght,-a proceeding which
filled Carry Bloom with new approximations
Was he looking for an army of constables Il
carry Downer away?
/ He returned with rapid steps to the store
and, opening drawer, procured a small via
and piece of Irvine. Armed with these and
hammer, he again descended the ladder and BY
/ q few quick skiilful blows caused the bung O
one of the barrels to leaped from its seat. H,
J then lowered the vial into the barrel and drew
{ / it out again 1t returned filled with brigh
; liquid the drops of which, as they lazily
trickled from the outside, were transmitted BY
the rays from the dingy lamp into gems o
opalescent fire. A subtitle aroma, the sublima
ton and quintessence of what had beer
perceived before, diifused itself through Til,
2 cellar and seemed to fill the little man with
3 frenzy of agitation.
Come upstairs" said he frowning sternly
Arrived there, he poured few drops of tn,
liquid into tumbler of water, watching mar
rowly the manner in which they mixed tasted
t it, poured drop carefully on his hand snifTet
it, and seemed to reflect on some nice AM
2 weighty question in a highly professional man
ner Finally, he said, with decision,--
Dir. DowneT, there is no whisky like tina
| IN New York. In fact, there are not ten mel
!. in the United States who would say that it wa
s whisky. You can't make anything like tina
by these quick ripening processes. / neve
! saw anything like it, and / have been exam
: ming and testing for fifteen years and an
4 called as good judge AS there is in the trade
i Our house viii be glad to get this lot. Now
we will take it on your debt at two dollars
: gallon and credit you the balance. 1t won
o fall short of a thousand dollars. How shall
we fix it,"
It Il don't like to sell whisky. I professe
J, temperance when l was a boy, and seems some
d how"
# You've got to sell itin struck in Bloc
K sharply. "Ive attached it; but it will
Il simpler to make out bill Of sale.'
e He went to the desk and wrote rapidly
t Sold and delivered to Harbert & Frou
twenty-eight barrels of whisky now in m