El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-24
THE BUSINESS
VENTURE OF
CISSY JAYNE.
Cissy Was a Child, but She Had q
Remarkable Aptitude For
Trade.
BY w. r. ROSE.

The tall young man at the desk By
the big window looked up with a start
There was something strangely famil
lar about the little figure in the door
way. He arose hurriedly from his
chair.
"Why, it's Cissyr' he cried and step
ped forward. The child's figure sway
ed toward him, and he caught it in his
arms.
George Henderson," a tired little
voice painted, "why don't you live up to
heaven and be done with itY'
"What is it, Cissy?" cried the young
padded chair in the corner and unfas-
tened her big hat and anxiously looked
her over.
Its these eight flights of stairs.
George" the faint voice painted. But
Pm all right. Just gimme time to get
my breath"
Gracious, Cissy, did you walk up
The tired head weakly nodded.
She was a slender girl of perhaps q
dozen years. Her features were prom
inent, her eyes keen, her chin aggres-
sive. Her light hair was brushed tight
ly back from her face, and this en-
phasized the sharpness of her features
and her look. She was very neatly
dressed and, under one arm, carried
two handsomely bound books.
"Why In the world didn't you take
the elevator, Cissy"
Her breath was coming back now,
and she smiled up at the young man
and lifted one eyebrow in a whimsical
way.
It'll tell you, George" she answered.
81 went into the vestybool, way down
by the sidewalk, you know, and was
just going to step into the elevator
when the fresh kid in brass buttons
that runs it pointed to a sign on the
wall While was reading it he ruined
the elevator up. You know the sign.
It's the one that says, No book agents,
peddlers or dogs allowed in this build
ing 1 read it and walked up"
"But don't see"- began the puzzled
young man.
George Henderson," cried the girl,
"don't you look at me as if you
thought took myself for a dogi I'm a
book agent"
"a book agent, Cissy Jayne"
son. Is there anything the matter
with my being book agent?'
Certainly not" laughed the young
man. Its an ancient and honorable
profession, even if a rude and unappre-
ciative janitor does classify it with
peddlers and dogs. But how did you
happen to adopt it?''
The girl scowled at him.
"See here, George Porgie," she snap
ped, don't you give me any of your
Harvard talk. kindergarten words is
good enough for me. I'm a book agent
cause dad put it in my head At the
table yesterday he got mad at me and
said 1 had brass enough for a book
agent. DO you think I'd make good
book agent, dadY says I. It's just
what you're fitted for he growled
And so this noon picked two books of
mine from the big bookcase and start
ed out"
"See here, Cissy jayne" cried the
young man, you don't mean to say
that you came all the way down town
alone? How did you do it?''
with a nickel and a transfer" gig
gled the child.
"And your father, and-and Miss
Ethel don't know where you areT
mo, they DON'T
"Pl telephone to them at once" said
the young man, as he turned toward
the phone.
Don't do it," cried the child. Papa
jayne is down town at his Office and
of course hasn't missed me, and Sister
Ethel is out to luncheon with Name
Oliver and she won't miss me until she
comes back. And now let me ask your
'tention to these nice books. They are
very choice. One is Little Women by |
the author of Little Men, and the other |
Is Little Men, by the same author. |
They are nice, morul books. There are
pitchoors in them. Lemme put down |
your name for BOTH
"Good," cried George Henderson:
very good Your fatherwas quite right. |
You have found your profession and |
you are sure to rise in it,
Haven't 1 already come I'D eight |
stories" laughed the child. Then she
quickly added, do you take the
books?"
81 have so many books now?" laugh
I'd the young man.
you'd better take Them" said the
enliu We got SOnelnlnS TO say to |
you about Sister Ethel"
The young man started.
"I'll tell you what I'll do, Cissy," he
said. I'll take them on approval"
~What's thatY'
'It means that I'll take them and
ook them over" replied the young
man, "and il like them I'll keep them
and pay you for them. If 1 don't like
hem, I'll return them to you"
els that straight, Georgew
certainly. Besides, Cissy, you know