The herald., 1894-05-02

IN fcru18n lnntEs Wne2V my nightmare
woul0 not appear 10 haunt me--ths
highlands Of Suctlaad, for instance, on
in central Afrioa--tho Office boy--hc
wore fresh pair Of trousers--ushered
Demare into my presence with tho mos,
profound deference without even an
nouncing him.
At the first glance / saw that he wore
0 hitherto unpublished" pair of trou-
sers. OF course / expected that, but
what / considered as sudden aggrava-
ton of my malady was that he wore
new coat. If coats were going to mix
themselves with trousers in my poor sick
brain, there was nothing left for me but
to arrange the details of my funeral.
With haggard face, I pointed to
chair.
cold man." said he, knowing that
you take an interest in me, have come
to tell you good news. / am engaged
permanently as financial editor of The
Gazette. So we are coworkers. Congrat-
ulate me.
murmured somo feeble words of fe-
licitation.
Il owe you some explanation of my
prosperity in the last few NOR this, ?" he
added. feYou remember the day bor
rowed the louis from you and returned
it the Same evening? told you at the
time it was for daisy financial stroke.
Now that my self interest does not com
pei mo to keep the professional secret !
will tell you all. 1t is a pretty byplay
-. NJ I
have not assassinated any old woman
who was ineumbored with rent roll. ]
have not been adopted by an elderly heir
ess. have sold no political secret nor
pillaged an embassy. Ihave simply been
dealer in trousers.
At the last word / bounded to my
feet. There was my nightmare again.
"Calm yourself" said he, "and lis
ten:
''The day before l made the demand
upon your purse / happened to DO pres
emit at the first days salo at auction of
an immense stock of now goods from a
bankrupt custom mado clothing concern.
The programme for the succeeding days
was the sale Of 10, 900 pairs of trousers
LnS1O wei lNM ct t1iC ndAN, tliO hNNNoclti
of taking the goods by lots, ON account
of the great quantity, shutting oct
workmen and the class Of persons who
wear such garments. l remarked that
the trousers in lots of 10 cost about 3
francs each.
by dire experience / know that the
pawnbrol1er lends upward Of francs on
pair of trousers In good condition
The thing to 60 was plain enough to be
seen. With your louis bid off lot of
10. Soon after / hastened to tho pawn
shop, where / offered three pairs. en-
countered an obstacle tho first thing.
They do not lend ON unworn garments.
/ argued rly case with such eloquence,
representing that / had worn the trou-
sers, but that was very careful of my
clothes, that l gained my point. OF
course could prove that / was not a
tailor seeking to dispose Of my stock. l
took two other lots of 10 at intervals
during the day, keeping the tenth pair
for myself. / received over dollar
apiece for them. So you sec it was q
pretty good days transaction.
1.-THE next day l bid off two lots, and
profiting by my experience passed the
day and part Of the night in wearing
the trousers, putting on one pair after
another. l can assure you it was back
breaking. then conceived the idea of
having others wear them for me, and
timidly at first, but soon boldly enough,
I lent the garments day by day to your
boys, your clerks and to many others,
asking nothing in return but discretion.
l told them that l needed to have actual
proof of their quality, as they were
made in great numbers in my shop for
shipment to South America. AS my
business increased perfected my meth
dds. employed agents to dispose of the
trousers. bought as many as 60 some
days
"All went well SO long as the source
of my prosperity remained undiscovered.
One day scented danger. One of my
agents found out by the mark on the
buttons where the goods came from, and
he bought lot of TO- / did not hesitate
O moment.
81 hunted up the receivers of the
stock. told them that there were 3, 900
pairs Of trousers unsold; that the 1000
pairs already sold Il had bought 8, 000)
had overstocked the buyer, and hence the
present price could not hold 1t would
be wiser to sell them all at once. In
conclusion, / offered them 5000 francs
for the lot of 8, 600. The deal was closed,
and SO all attempts at competition were
effectually prevented. At the same time
I laid. myself liable to the law which
Furnishes monopolies.
"Now it is all over with. The pawn
shops, glutted with trousers, rebelled
and threatened my agents with arrest
Eight Thousand of my garments rest on
their shelves, so did not complain. In
the end was obliged to carry my bust.
ness into the provinces Each pair of
trousers has brought me on an average
net Of ST.; total, IS, 900. I will lend
it to you if you want to borrow.
"Now that it is not necessary for me
to affect poverty. have bought me a
coat and some other furnishings. still
have left about 100 pairs of trousers
/ shall give some in charity, and have
already fitted out your entire establish
ment. You must notice how / am re-
spected around here.
NOW, old man, shall be most happy
to send you pair made to fit you per-
fectly Of the richest fabric You have
only to say the word"
Tt is needless to add that my cure was
ako.SA Lob