The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-11-26
Our Daily Short Stories
LOVE AND CHICKENS.
BY FRANK H. SWEET.
tcopyright, 1901 by Authors Syndicate,

'St.'ONS TIC wealthy RESIDENTS OF the
city; and to-day as he went from
house to house, he was especially iubi-
lant, for, trade was good. By the mid
ole of the afternoon he had sold the
. last chicken and turned his mules head
toward home, his pockets heavy with
the silver they had brought. And as
ne turned away a figure which had
Kept within a block or two of him all
through the day, stopping at the same
houses, with the ostensible object of
selling a pair of chickens upon which
an impossible value had been placed,
/. turned away also, entering street
which led toward the business portion
of the city. Reaching that, the man
hurried along until he came to book
store. This he entered.
II low to git a book what 'splains
bout names an t'ings," he said to the
clerk Reckon yo' hab one?"
"Yo' s'pose hit got-got Microbe into
hit?" the customer asked anXiously.
I'm lowin' to fin if hits a sickness
name-what brings measles an things,
yo' know"
The clerk stroked his moustache.
"Well-er-I suppose you might call it
a sickness name that way" he replied,
blandly; "a disease germ, you see. "
He opened the book and turned several
pages. There it is"
Microbe bent over the book eagerly,
his eyes Frightening.
"Yaas, OATS him, sho'," he ejaculat-
ed. "M-i-c-r-o-b-e." His eyes ran
down the page. "Yo' reckon dar's an
udder name mos lax hit, but widout
sickness an bad meanin' % he asked,
presently. "Yo' see. know man who
made a mistook in a name, an now
he's a huntin' TO de right one"
The clerk looked at the book.
Lets see." he said "Micro-micro
-nlicro-how would Microscope do?
That's a scientific name"
"a mo sickness nor not'in' hidin' benin
hit, is dar?'
e. mo, indeed; it's just a scientific in
strument.
3 Microbe showed his teeth.
"Den I reckon hits all right, an
tank yo, sah.'
Late that evening, as Deacon White
was sitting upon his front porch, gloat-
ing over the profits of the day. he
heard a quick, firm step, and looked up
to see Microbe--or Microscope-enter
the yard.
Good ebenin', Microbe," he called,
Hospitality; glad yo' come. I done git
mighty tired sellin' all dem chickens;
if It want for dat 1 been brung yo'
money. rs done paid Mist Williams
an Mist Buckler."
Oats all right. How dey sell?'
Main good; done sell cherry one.
Here take dis cheer and hep me count
de money. Oar. Now, les see, yo' glib
me two .hun'erd--two hun'erd at seben
cents, make fo'teen dollars; an ten per
CEN off leabes-leapes-er, jes' twelve
dollars an sixty cents. Yaas, OATS
right. Here's yo' money"
How much did de res git?" he
asked.
"Jes' de same, OBJ co'se," he snorted;
"yo' amt s'pose sell one pusson's
chickens TO one price, an anudder pus-
sons fo' anudder price, is yo'? No
sah!'' emphatically; II aim dat kin oh
man.. -. $1,000,
Microbe druinmed meditatively upon
his knees with his finger.
81 been in city myself to-day" he
announced, presently; "yo' see. I low
on gittin' a book, to study, an l hah
two mo- chickens OATS plenty big to
SELL"
''Yaas, an so yo done swap de chick
ems TO de book. But what yo' gwine
study, Microbe?"
Dat ain matter jes' now. De funny
part was dat when 1 take my chickens
to house, de folks low dey jes' buy
a dozen pair TO so cents a pair, an
de mex house dey done buy jes' de
same, an de mex an de mex; an
when bime by I looks up an sees yo'
jes' ahead, dat 'splains hit. / been
tryin' to tell at jes' de same houses
yo' done sell at. But when 1 thinks
hit ober, lows / better keep right on
dat way, To- yo had 'sperience in SELL
in; so jes' keeps roun' arter yo' till
you done sell de las chicken. An
is mighty glad dat none ain fotch less
den so cents a pair, an some go high
as co."
There was a long silence, then a
husky: What yo' gwine do bout hit,
Microbe?"
= "Oh, muffin" placidly. "I's gwine be
yo' son-in-law, an I ain car to hab
disputationin' in de family. Now dom
yo' git mad" as the deacon rose storm
lily to his feet; "Ps jes' fixin' things de
bes' way TO 20. S'pose 1 go tell Mist
Williams an Mist Buckler, an some O.
dem tudder folks yo' do tradin' long
OBJ? Ain yo' see dar gwine be tar an
fedders an a rail- an mos likely some
body be run out de town, an den 1
hab to marry Cassia anyway, jes' to
keep her from feelin' bad. Ain 70 see
dat?"
The deacon sank heavily into his
seat.
"Yo, been mighty smart" he sneer-
'ed; now what yo' gwine make me
do?"
II ain gwine make yo' do muffin,
deacon. rs jes' 'visin'. II rs you, I'd
go an fix thigh all right wild Mist Will
liams an Mist Buckler-yo' needn' tell
everything, but see dey gets all dere
money; den tell Cassia she bes' marry
dat nice young man Microscope, who's
de git aheadedes' man roun', an who
gwine be de fines kim OBJ gentleman"
grlnning affably; AN long OBJ de res
/ reckon I'd pay him what yo' owe him
on de chickens. an on de taters yo' col
last week. He gwine need hit now to
fix up 70 de weddin'. An'-an' / low
OATS all; on'y my name gwine be Mi
scroscope arter dis. Now, what yo'
t'ink?"
The deacon's only answer was an ex-
plosive snort which could not be form
ed into words. But he drew out roll
of bills, part of which he counted and
gave to Microscope. The young man
rose to his feet.
"T'ank yo, deacon" he said; ives
gwine be mighty good frien's. ! see.
Now / reckon better go roun' an fin'
Cassia, an make up bout de weddin'"