Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-03-09
SHOES CAME BACK.
HcW MR. AND MRS. ALGERNoN SMITH
 DISPOSED OF A NUISANCE.

A rag peddler was slowly passing Mrs. AIgernon Smiths house when that good woman hailed him.
 ''How much for cid shoes?"
 "Helluv cent pount for wool an cotton. gan't puy ole shoes. {"
 "But won't you give me something for them?'
 "Any iron or bottles you yant to sell, lady? You want to sell dose p'ings vat you haf on? Helluv cent pount. I gan no more gif I want not dose shoes, not for nottings Nottings else?"
 Mrs. Smith indignantly closed the window. When her husband came home at night, she said:
 "Algernon, want you to take lot of old shoes I've done up in package and throw them away
 "Why don't you give them to the washerwoman?' asked Mir. Smith.
 She won't have them-says they're not her kind of shoes. was the answer. ''They are all either too large or toe small, the heels are too high, and they are the wrong number offered them to tramp, and he said when he went into the shoe business he would let me know-he wasn't buying misfts yet ,
 ''I like his impudenee. Where are they? I'll make short work of them, , said Mir Smith, and he took the big bundle his wife gave him and went out In 15 minutes he was back.
 "So you got rid of them, said Iii wife joyfu1ly. T think there was en accumulation of six years in that lot. Some of them I had given to people who were begging at the door, but l al- ways found them again nexd day in the lot. Old shoes are like cats, if you send them away they always come back.
 ..rhe cat won't come back this time, ]" said her husband. "I dumped them in 8 vacant lot and ran. After this when you buy a pair of new shoes leave your old ones at the store. J
 Next morning as Mrs. Smith was do- Ing her homework the door bell rang
 T guess maybe you've had bur- glary," said the cheery voice of man who stood on the steps and seemed in a hurry. T found this bundle, with your name and address on it, when I was looking over my lot today. :"
 Mrs Smith took the bundle and fee. ply thanked him. When Algernon came home, she told him. He said there were more ways of killing cat than of chok. ing her with butter, and after supper he took up the bundle and went out.
 He knew of nice dark place down near church where he could slide in and drop that load of shoes without be- ing seen. He had taken the precaution to tear off the address and had changed tbs shape of the bundle. As he depogit- ct 1t in the archway of this dark corner 8 heavy hand was laid on his shoulder.
 ''No, you don't No abandonment of the little innocent when you get tired of your own flesh and blood Pick up the poor thing now or I'll club ye
 It was the new policeman on that beat, and he didn't know Mr Smith. He listened to his explanation with a most aggressive and unbelieving air
 'Lemme see the kid, he demanded, and when the "kid" proved to be kid shoes he grew still angrier.
 I've mind to run ye in for disturb ing the peace and resisting an officer, ]" he said, but finally permitted Smith to take his bundle and go home.
 The next night Q smudge came out of the Smiths chimney, and the neighbors held their noses. About midnight 8 loud rapping was heard at the front door, and light in the basement was hastily extinguished. Mir. Smith an- swered the summons, while Mrs. Smith hid ill the coal cellar. A patrol wagon full of policemen was at the door. One of them was OH the steps
 Are you running glue factory here without hceasesa he demanded of Smith.
 Then what is that internal odor? Your neighbors have telephoned that you were making yourself a nuisance and want you abated.
 Smith took the crowd in and told his story-how they had put those shoes in the garbage box and had them turned out again and how they had tried to sell them or give them away and finally to lose them. Then he showed the police to the basement and opened the door of the furnace, where the shoes were being oremated. Then he produced some bot ties with long neeks that were sent for his birthday, and for half an hour he was busy pulling corks After some time he released Mrs. Smith from the coal cellar.
 Are they gone2'' she gasped.
 The police?"
 No, no; the shoes.
 Every scrap reduced to ashes.
 They embraced, and happiness reigned in the Smith household. = Chicago rTti.,,,e n c--,11