The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-04-20
FOR LITTLE FOLKS.
A DEAL IN PEANUT BRITTLE.
The Trading Venture of q Youthful Mem.
Der of the Gratebar Family.

- GITA6 TN GNU Dnl IIEs
The Trading Venture of q Youthful Mem
Der of the Gratebar Family.
When they put the price of peanut
brittle down to IL cents pound in the
big stores, Maude Gratebar, the oldest
of the Gratebar children, had an idea.
Peanut brittle costs 20 cents pound in
the grocery stores and confectionery
stores up around where the Gratebars
live Maude's idea was to take some Of
her money-she is thrifty and always
has little money-and buy peanut brit
tie at one of the big stores at 10 cents
and job it out to the children at 90.
She thought that she could rely on the
trade of the Gratebar household, where
she was we'll known, and the SEQUEL
showed that her confidence was not mis-
placed.
Maude bought three pounds of pea
nut brittle at IL cents pound, SO cents;
car fare added, 10 cents; total invest
ment, 46 cents. Sold at 20 cents a
pound this would manifestly bring in
so cents, SO that Maude expected to
make IA cents on the deal Trade opened
very briskly. Philip and George and
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, if desired This made it very
handy for George and Clara, the two
younger children, who could run into
their mother S room and ask for 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 one of the chill
dren as a Christmas present This was
bad, for the weights had never been
sealed, and despite her thrift Maude is
generous, and what between the I'M
sealed weights and her own generosity,
whenever the children bought 1 cents
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 a
profit if Maude had not begun to give
credit. Maude knew we'll enough that
that wasn't business, but what could
she Go when little Clara came along and
said 1nother'd gone out, and she wanted
a cents worth Of peanut brittle and
asked Maude to trust her for it till
mother came in. Could Maude refuse to
trust her own little sister for cents
worth of peanut brittle? Why, certain
~ lot. She let her have it.
At the end of a week George and
Clara had run up Joint account of 10
cents Then Maude shut down on them
absolutely. No more peanut brittle. ex-
cept for cash and the payment of all
back Indebtedness. That threw them at
once back upon their mother. Called
upon for 10 cents all at once instead of
for pennies separately, Mrs. Gratebar
investigated. She found the two young
er children i'll debt to Maude, and
Maude herself uncomfortable over the
situation. Philip had bought 10 cents
worth of brittle, so that the total cash
receipts had been 81 cents. But even
counting what the little children owed
as good there wasn't brittle enough re-
naming on hand, even if sold for cash
and at full price, to make good tho
original Investment.
Things were getting complicated, and
Mrs. Gratebar acted promptly. She paid
the children debts, and then at once
bought the entire remaining stock of
brittle and divided it among all the
children. Mrs. Gratebar paid 10 cents
|. for this remainder, SO that after all
Maude closed out the deal at a small
profit, but it wasn't enough to pay for
the bother, and that would have been
sufficient to deter her from all such VEN
lures in the future, even if this had not
been the express understanding with
which Mrs. Gratebar came to the res
cue.-New York Sun.