The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-02-24

I presume it is the newest style, and
William has none yet. He e to get
a cheaper one. So today, while I was
in the office. in walked al old mana
veritable old gentleman.
n.Sir, says he, I am a mar who
does not find himself getting on well
and am forced to try going about among
the gentlemen. I am a tailor. l have
made IN expensive overcoat for a gen
tleman. Ten pounds was the price, and
he did not pay me. So when he had it
on his back one day I said, "Sir, pay
me. And he said. "You wait until I
am ready.
every well, sir, I will wait. But I
see there is a button loose. will fasten
it for you. l have silk and needle here.
"'Ah,' said he, just like you to
leave it that way. and off comes the
coat.
".You shall have it again the next
day after never said I. So away I
walked. Iwould sell it for Sc. which is
very cheap
81 looked at the coat. which he I'M
folded from a paper.
".Guess it will ft my son. said I.
'I'll try it on, and we'll see.
$50 it did.
Then said I, now, you see, I do
this to make up to you, as far as can.
for that other fellows rascality.'
"'You are an honest gentleman,
said he, and I will repay you by a
great bargain. I must sell my solid sill
yer spoons. I meant to melt them, not
to expose my poverty, but you shall
have the whole dozen for the trihe of
Ca
"Well, Of course, I jumped at that
Mr.. Christy here laid the spoons on
the table-''and took out e1O.
stBut he had something else which
he took from under his arm.
"sMy wife is trying to sell her
shawl he said.
"Well, Hooked at the shawl he shook
out Of it's folds.
"'You shall have it for 81, as a sam
pie Of my generosity. he said, with a
tear in his eye.
"Well, 1 knew you'd like it, my
dear. 1t looks like one I used to admire
you in when 1 courted you-red center,
cashmere border" and Mr.. Christy
shook out the folds-the old shawl Mrs.
Christy had exchanged for the vases
that morning. She knew that at once
she could not mistake it. But as she
looked at her husband, beaming and
twinkling with good humor, she could
not bear to utter the truth outright
and tell how completely he had been
taken in.
"Six pounds for the coat and So for
the spoons" he said merrily, ''and 81
for the shawl, and this'-holding out a
81 note-''is all I have out Of my $40
motel Poor old fellow The last pound
he had in the world, he said. Hello!
What is this?" Mr.. Christy put on his
glasses and looked at the note. "Your
name is written on it in red ink, my
dear-'Caroline Christy.' Ali This is
counterfeit. Why, what in all the
world
"Oh!" cried William, at this mo-
ment entering the door. '"That's the
note mother took a long while ago-a
counterfeit.
tAnd it has come back to me" said
MI. Christy. "You never passed it,
Caroline. Perhaps some servant took it.
What a fool I was not to put on my
glasses when the man gave it to mei''
1--WE both need spectacles, said Mrs.
Christy. "My dear, neither Of us can
laugh at the other. We are both COM
pletely Sold And when she had told
her story it became very plain to all of
them that the peddler who had stolen
the coat, spoons and the counterfeit
note from Mrs. Christy had by chance
entered Mr.. Christy's Office in his bust
ness travels; that he had sold him back
his own stolen coat and his own plated
spoons under the guise of a wonderful
bargain in solid silver.
Happily the Christy family were toll
erably well off and could afford to laugh
at the farce they had taken so promi-
nent a part in, and Mrs. Christy declared
she was glad to recover the shawl that
her husband remembered her wearing
during the happy period of their court
ship days.
A member Of the police force called
shortly after to state that the thief
could not be traced and was no doubt
a very cunning fellow. But the Christy
family did not confde their joke to the
worthy officer. They had the wisdom
to keep it in the family. London Spare
Moments.
Mule Dentistry.
A Mexican mining company, which
owns 800 mules. keeps a dentist on its
staff simnlv to look after the mulasi