The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1895-11-16
FOR LITTLE FOLKS.
A DEAL IN PEANUT sRlrrLg.

The frsaine Venture ef . Yeathfal Nom
ber VI the Gsatsbar Family.
When they put the price Of peanut
brittle down to ~ cents pound in the
big stores. Maude Gratehar. the oldest
Of tho Gratebar children, had an idea
Peanut brittle costs 90 cents pound in
the grocery stores and confectionery
stores mp around where the Gratebars
live Maude's idea was to take some Of
her money-she is thrifty and always
has little money-and huy peanut brit
tie At one Of the big stores at ~ cents
and job it out to the children at 80.
She thought that she could rely on the
trade of the Gvatebar household. where
she was well known. and the sequel
showed that her confidence was not mis-
placed.
Mande bought three pounds Of pea
nut brittle at Ia cents o pound. SO cents:
car fare added, 10 cents; total invest
ment. &c cents. Sold at 20 cents o
pound this would manifestly bring in
60 cents. SO that Maude expected to
make II cents on the deal Trade opened
very briskly. Philip and George aud
Clara. the other Gratebar children.
transferred their entire trade in peanut
brittle to the home store. Maude sold in
any quantity asked fora single penny's
worth, il desired. This made il very
handy for George and Clara the two
younger children, who could run into
their mother 5 room and ask for a penny
and then scoot into Maude's room and
buy peanut brittle with it.
Maude used toy scale and weights
that had been given to enc Of the chill
dren rs Christmas present. This WAS
bad, for the weights had never been
sealed. and despite her thrift Maude is
sealed weights and her own generosity,
whenever the children bought l cent $
worth she really gave them nearer .
cents worth, SO that when the peanut
brittle was half gone, and she should
have had 80 cents, she really had only
| 81. But this loss might have been re-
trieved and the deal still closed at q
profit il Maude had not begun to-. give
credit Maude knew we'll enough that
she do when little Clara came along and
said mother gone out, and she wanted
. cents worth Of peanut brittle and
asked Maude to trust her for it till
mother came in. Could Maude refuse &c
trust her own little sister for q cent?
worth of peanut brittle? Why. certain
~ not. She let her have it.
At the end Of q week George and
Clara had run up a joint account Of lC
cents. Then Maule shut down on them
absolutely. No more peanut brittle. ex
cept for cash and the payment of al
back Indebtedness. That threw them Al
once back upon their mother. CalleC
upon for 10 cents all at once instead o
for pennies separately, Mrs. Gratebal
Investigated She found the tvs o young
er children in debt to Maude, ant
Maude herself uncomfortable over th'
situation. Philip had bought 10 cents
worth Of brittle, so that the total casl
receipts had been 81 cents. But ever
counting what the little children owe,
as good there wasn't brittle enough re
manning on hand, even il sold for casl
and at full price. to make good thu
original investment.
, Things were getting complicated, an'
Mrs. Gratebar acted promptly. She pail
the children's debts, and then at ono
, bought the entire remaining stock o
, brittle and divided it among all tn
children Mrs. Gratebar paid 10 cent
I for this remainder. so that after al
Maude closed out the deal at q small
profit. but it wasn't enough TO pay 10
the bother. and that would have beei
sufficient to deter her from all such ven
, lures in the future, even IL this had no
been the express understanding wit
q which Mrs. Gratebar came to the res
{ cue New York Sun.