Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-16
HE TREATS NOW.
Water Street Clerk Tries to
Guess a Woman's Age,
Makes Horrible Mistake Of Calling
Her az When % is Her Claim.
"o" ne treats His Friends on Havana Cigars
and Says Nothing.

vas standing in Il Water street store
me other day idling away the company's
time talking Politics, religion and trade
win one of the genial clerks. We had
discussed most every subject under the
sun from the Schley verdict to the Arocs-
'ook potato crop and conversation was
eet'hg little drip when a lady waItzed
in.
one was evidently from one Of the ad-
, JOINING towns and many summers and
aoi'ic winters had rassed over her head
i,er oay Tor posing as one of the Gibson
picture girls mad long since flown. and
Lier golden hair was not hanging down
her back but looped up IN ringlets ana
waved and dangled in the breeze
She tiptoed along to the counter whar,
we We're standing and my friend the c,.rL
stepped out to wait upon her She sized
him up and in a sweet. angelic voice
that would nave put a hysterical patient
to sleep. said:
am going to have a birthday this
week and wish to invite a few of my
friends in to spend the e-ening. | hay.
)uSt ordered the birthday cake and would
ike to get. II yol have them, some sma.
candles for decorating the cake. want
one candle for each Year OF NV age
You know the kind l want"
The clery smiled one of those .x9 smiles
mat goes with a pound bar OF soap, and
said:
on. yes. | think We have them but
may not have as many as Won wish
mere has been quite call for them late
y. You excuse me one moment and |
will look and see
Upon that he disappeared into tho ipper
recesses Of the store and presently
emerged with a pas:eboard box in his
hand and his face illuminated with nj:
accustomed store smile. ana said:
Yes, marin. we have Just what vou
want. There are i2 Of them and they
will cost you % cents for the lot" The
sweet thing gave gasp. puckered up
her lips as if she was going 10 whistle
while the fire few from her eyes. The s.
lence was really oppressive whilc the poor
clerk hardly realized thar ne was elected
by unanimous rising vote.
'For.T-two." she said. then again slow
ly. 'fortytwo. Do | look like a woman
Of forty-;wo? / am only a girl | was
just y last March, the 18th day. and no
one ever takes me to re over -. and If
people expect to sell anything | should
think they would have clerks who knew
something. You can keep your old can
dies for ! don't want them. ! would not
take them for a gift
Thus the sweet thing ran oil. putting
the brad into the poo: clerk wherever
she saw a tender spot whilc he. poor
martyr, did his best to explain matters
and assured her that he never would take
her to be over - and scarcely that BIT
nothing he could say or DO would appeas
her wrath. She was like grandpa's clock
She ran until she was run down and
then bounced out of the store leaving
the atmosphere charged with lightning
and tempered with violet perfume. ana
the poor clerk like Uriah Heer, oh 50
humble.
l could have traded this story with the
clerk for a sicc box OF samuel Garcia
cigars for Christmas and no questions
asked. but, as this is q choice bit of ro-
nance seasoned with truth that some
times drifts into the scr!bo's net. | much
preferred to scatter It 10 the world like
chaf before the wind. trusting it may
fall on fertile soil ana take root and be
productive Of much good. In the mean
time should any of our readers feel in
clned to undermine their system by in
haling narcotic poison and not having
the wherewIthal to liqaidate, it would ba
perfectly safe 70 hunt this young man
Up and mention candles to him ana watch
his placid features relax while his hand
slides into the case and clutches Man-
ne, Garcia.
He may tell YOU that the Good Book
SAYS all men are liars more or less, some
moro 20 than others and that there is no
truth in the story. but YOU take the ci-
gar Just the same. thank him. and build
a fire in the cnd OF il. ana, when you &c.
out on the street where there IS 10 one
looking at You. get out Your cash-book
and credit one good cigar to
JOHN QUILL