Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-05-16
su4sNe A-PHEsENT.

f-ssz--- BUYING A-PHESEMJs
| Shopping Expedition of . Man Who Didns1
Mind the Expense. E
He was one Of the old timers Of Pos
sum Ridge settlement. and Was dow
at the county seat for the first time
since the war. He went poking about
the streets. peering into the stores and
shops with the air of a man who had a
deep-seated purpose in view. He went
on until he came to a large dry-goods
establishment, where he halted. for a
minute as if undecided whether to enter
or pass on. Finally he blundered in.
and, striking the first clerk he came to.
he said:
Say, mister. hev yer any thing in
this ERE shebang es 'ud be suitable fer
er birthday gif' fer the ole 'oman?"
.'Why, yes" the, clerk stammered
out, II expect so. What would you
like to buy?"
oval, thar yer got me. stranger.
I'm derned if know what 'ud suit -
..What have you been in the habit of
getting for the occasion?'' -.-a-.ss
'sThet's jest it, young teller, hain't
never bought any gif' afore, and it's all
new to me. ier see, it's this ere way:
Men the ole 'oman's been married nigh
ter sixty year. say it's sixty past,
but she holds out agin me tibet it's
gwine onter sixty, but ole 'Squar Bee
son, who jined US. says I'm right, an
the ole 'Squar's a mighty level-headed
man. Yer know Their Squire, reck-,
on?''
,''Yes. know the Squire. But about
the presentP'' ~ 15 f. VISA
Eyes. that's jist what I wuz gittin'
at. Wal. yer see. as I said; men Their
ole 'oman's been err joggin' erlong ter
gether all them years up thar on Pos
sum Ridge, an sort O humpiu' our
selves in Their craps an out an we
hain't thought much er putin on no
style, ner nothin' O. that sort. But
t'other day fell ter readin' er leetle
piece what sorter set me ter goin' in
my mind, an felt like es EFF hain't
done jest fair by the ole oman, an l
KEEP er thinl1in'. an by gum, Their fust
thing knowed I'd done jes' plumb
made up mer min ter git 'er er birth
day gif. I want ter s'prise 'er." 3
Eyes, and you want something real
nice, SUPPOSED"
Chats what. mister. Sumpin' rale
han some that'll kin'er make up fer all
them gifts what she didn't git. An
don't keer eff it costs err right smart,
nuther, fer Their ole 'oman's been monty
faithful all them years, an hain't
never kicked on dom: Their feedin' an
gittin' in ther wood am shuckin' out
Their fodder in Their winter, an helpin'
in Their hay stackin' an sech like in
Their summer" tt "{f"#
''Well, now, here is nice dress
pattern that would suit first rate"
''Thet's kin'er nice, stranger. Whut
does it como at?''
Ten dollars. "
Say, reckon that wouldn't suit
Yer see 1 got 'er er caliker gownd las
TALL. an
''Well, then, how is this wrap at eight
dollars?"
''Won't do, I guess. She's got err
shawl, an, asides, thet's leetlel grain
morn I keer ter pay"
Here are pair of slippers at five
dollars
Il reckon don't want them, nuther
Els said, Their ole 'oman's been faith
full. an hain't never kicked agin keep
in up her eend O. Their work, an l
want ter s'pise 'er with sumpin' rale
nice. but. yer see, I don't want ter go
too high"
"Well, here is pair of slippers at
two dollars. That's low enough, isn't
it?''
That's gittin' down some, but I'm
afeerd it's er leetle mite too high yit."
''About how much are you willing to
pay?"
Il hain't going ter be perticler, mis-
ter, fer started out ter git sumpin'
nice, even if it does come pooty well
up, but I wanter be leetle keerful.
Lem'me see, what does them thar ban
banners come at?"
Ten cents"
''Hain't none fer five?"
mo"
''Wul, I reckon I'll jest take one O.
them. Els said at fust, 1 hain't per-
ticker erbout err few cents one way er
tother, an asides it'll do fer us both
ter use. Don't yer reckon Their ole
'oman's eyes III stick out like knots on
or xx-ho ho hot 9fS