Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-06-05
ACLEVER SELL. ;
-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-e-s-s-
The Woman Who Hesitates 4
With an Old Clothes I
Man Is Lost

| PiOooahbAs III lnc uSud
way on the fattery of his confreres ant
really deserving most of it'too In fact
he is really rlever fellow in many way
and often surprises his friends with tn
diversity of his talents.
They all believe in him except his wife
She's like the valet in the familiar aph
orism-to her the man Of her choice il
never hero. So she laughs at his non
sense and punctures his wit and makes
him feel as much as possible, to quote hi
own expression, like 80 cents
Well, this east ender has a great likine
for amateur entertainments and Is quit,
clever actor and mimic. Some time agC
he, in company with friend, began tn.
preparation of vaudeville character act
OF course he told his wife, and she, a:
usual, laughed at his histrionic preten
sions
Everybody will see through your dis
guise, " she said, land you'll just be a
general laughing stock.
"1'll chance it, said George, and be
went on with his rehearsals
One day last week his wife was busy
with her housecleaning and had emptied
half the contents of the attic into the
basement. George didn't like houseclean-
ing-strange to say-and so he made as
early start for the Office as possible. His
wife called goodby to him from the fur
mace cellar and moment later she heard
the front door slam
1t might have been 10 minutes after this
that form darkened the outside door
way of the basement The mistress of the
house looked up and saw it was an old
clothes man. He was threadbare and
shiny old clothes man, and he wagged his
full gray beard in a decidedly obsequious
way as he advanced with his rough bag
Amy old garments today, ma am? I
pay der highest market brice, SO helb Inc, :"
said the stranger.
why, yes," said the lady, Il have
some old garments right here. What do
you pay?''
''It depends on vat it ees," said the
stranger. ''Ve got to go py der rules of
der trust
Have the old clothes men trust9'
cried the astonished lady
''To be gwite sure they haf," said the
stranger, land we've got to. standt to-
gedder. Vat you gotf"
The lady brought forward several gar
ments, and the stranger shook them ana
stretched them and smelled of them and
finally offered ridiculously low price
The lady presently yielded and the gar
ments were placed in the bag.
"Ain'd you got Something's leetle pet
ter, may beS" said the stranger as he rub
bed his griIny hands together 'I pay
you veil ven you pring me Something's
NICE
"Let me see, unused the lady of the
house. "There's Georges summer suit
in the front room closet. don't think
he'll want it any more, and this will be a
capital chance to get rid of it. Wait a
moment" she said to the stranger "I'n
see what 1 can find" And she darted
away.
When she came back, she had the gray
suit over her arm. The stranger seized
the garments and ran his nose along them
with his face screwed up In a quizzical
way.
''vell." he said, "dot's all right. will
puy them" And he forthwith began to
thrust the suit into his bag.
wait, watt cried the mistress. "You
haven't settled on the price,
The stranger paused.
81 gif you one tollar seventy five" he
said as he spread out his hands
"You don't offer enough"
81 dell you vat do said the stranger
In burst of benevolence. sI gif one
tollar eighty und dance der czardas for
you"
whats the czardas?" inquired the mis-
tress
"Vot! Ton't you know der czardasP'
cried the stranger in great establishment.
"Vatch me-"
And he danced the czardas on the base.
ment floor. 1t was wild dance, and he
threw into it an amazing exhilaration.
Presently, with a final flourish of his
nimble legs, the stranger paused, counted
out with great deliberation the requisite
number of silver pieces, and, with bless
ing on the head of the mistress delivered
with outspread hands and rolled up eyes
and in some strange tongue, departed
with his bag through the outside base
ment door.
When George came home that night
he went up stairs, and his wife heard him
rummaging around in the closet.
'"Anna," :" he called from the upper hall
way, "have you seen that light gray srm-
mer suit of mine?"
"Wh-what suit?" stammered Anna.
why, that light gray suit wore for
few weeks last summer" said George
1t was in the front closet last night, but
1 can't find it anywhere now."
"What did you want of it?" queried
Anna in a weak voice
why, wanted to have it pressed and
sponged up. It's almost as good as new.
Besides that, was looking for safe hid
ing place for a few hundred dollars in bills
that brought home last night and fan
cied the inside pocket of the gray vest was
as safe place as could find. Eh, what's
the matter?' He had heard a hollow
moan from the lower regions, and down
stairs he came flying There was poor
Anna, limp and white, lying back in an
easy chair.
Here, Anna" he cried, ''whaHs the
matter with your" He was genuinely
scared. He stood back a little. He
stretched out his hands with the palms
upward. He tipped his head to one side
with comical leer
Watts all dot 'foolishness apout?" he
cried. Dose clothes vas no good no more
alretty. tolt you dey vas full of mots!"
"What!' shrieked Anna, springing up.
"Was that you? Well, of all the mean,
contemplate tricks ever heard of, that's
the worst!'
YES" he jubilantly cried without
needing her criticism, 81 sueaked out of
the front door without your hearing or
seeing me, and sneaked back again. And
now," he added with an exuberant shout.
"now will you say 1 can't act2"
But she was so mad over her discom-
future that she has scarcely forgiven him
even yet.-Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The Kansas Boys.
In letter home one of the Kansas