Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-09-23
THE LOCKED STORE.

VIII Barnham sat in the silent store
and yawned. How dull it was! He
had not had a customer for nearly
an hour, and the loneliness and
1nactlon were becoming unbearable.
He looked at his watch and
counted the hours since his father had
gone away leaving him in charge of
his business. Immediately on his re-
turn, which he hoped would be soon,
he meant to board one of the electric
cars that whirled invitingly by the
door, for, Of course it was too hot to
think of walking home. Then he fell
to wondering how his father could en-
dure hour after hour, and day after
day, this beggarly lack Of business.
Yet he was hopeful, always to inquir-
ers: ''Oh, things will brisk up after
while''
'Will rose, and walking to the door
looked up the street at store in the
next block, where the people were
busily coming and going.
''Just as I thought" he muttered,
''Zilinski and his clerks are as busy as
the beavers, while here sit idle. told
father a store in this part of town
among the Poles would have no
chance while Zilinski was so near. He
ought to have known what a people
they are for hanging together, and of
course, they'll all patronize their own
countryman. But father only laughed
and said, boys didn't know it ALL He
thought they'd buy of him because he
keeps better goods than Zilinski and
sells some things a few cents cheaper.
But not rap do they care for that.
So here we are losing money every
day, while Zilinski is getting rich. I'll
talk to father this very night and see
if can't persuade him to move to
some better stand as soon as this
month is up. If he doesn't [ may as
we'll give up going to college this fall.
I'll have to go to work instead of get
ting my board and Clothes"
With a frown on his face he turned
away from the door and walked to the
other end of the store. Here his eyes
fell upon book that he had not read,
and, taking it up he was soon above
and beyond all his annoyances.
He had been reading thus uninter-
rupted for more than an hour when he
heard quick foot steps on the board
sidewalk in front of the store. He
looked up.
~
this hot day?" he thought.
In a moment bareheaded Polish
woman dashed into the store. Her
face was white, her eyes wild with
fright.
ooh, guide boy" she began in brok-
en- English, "ring der telephone on
and up der doctor get, mine leetle
schild vot to my neighber belongs ish
drownded dade in her sishtern al
ready"
Will sprang to his feet, his face as
white as the woman's.
"What doctor?'' he asked.
s'Dat makes no difference"
Will gave the telephone a frantic
ring as the woman darted away.
"Here," he called, come back and
tell me the name and number where
the child is"
The woman stopped, gave the re-
quired information and then dashed
away again.
But another fifteen minutes fed be-
fore Will could catch a doctor in his
office, and even he was just about to
set out to visit some very critical
cases, and could only promise to get
there as soon as possible.
Will rang off the telephone, and
thrusting his hands in his pockets,
stood lost in thought.
''There may not be any customers
for some time, what if I should lock
up the store? That doctor will not
see the child for an hour, at least, and
by that time''-A cold chill ran over
him, as he thought of the probabilities.
cit is only the possibility of losing
a little money, anyway" he thought,
and then with one hand he snatched
the doorkey from it's nail, with the
other picked up his hat, and in an
other moment the door was locked,
and he, who had but just declared
himself unequal to the slight exertion
of walking home, was racing up the
street like runaway horse.
When he had gone block or two,
he saw that there would be no trouble
in finding the house. He had but to
follow the crowd of women; the men
were, of course, all away at their
work.
When he reached the door the