Evening star., 1901-12-14

,,,t hin, 10 the quick to hear old Squire
Massey call up Blinks & Bilkins IN the
country town, and order. halungLy, WIN
much repetition, fifty-odd dollars worth OF
Christmas stuff, not a bit better than Cles-
gett himself had in stock. Since there
were always plenty of people to follow the
souire's lead more orders went into town
in fact. before dinner time. that is to say:
IL o'clock Cleggett estimated his loss OF
trade at 500. ~,
well! All 1 got to say is-my lossn be
your gain" he said to Ned Lester, VINO
had run in for crackers and cove oysters.
Al least, Ned said that was his errand,
though his eyes and set mouth betokened
something more important. Ell ttls yere r
road'u pay ye enough ter live like er white
man-maybe." Cleggett ran on: ay
things stand now, hit jest erbout half
starves ye-and you got tickets express
and freight all ter tend to-not ter name
bein' postmaster"
well, I don't complain" Ned said.
Laughing. but not quite easily: ANY port
in a storm, you know-I had to take what
ever / could get when the governor went
to smash -
Il know" CIegsett interrupted; I've said
always thar's whar ye showed the breeo
We come of. Yer ole grandpap. he wus Jest
the up-and-downest white man ever rid
erbout this neck o. the woods. You don't
favor him none at all in the face, neither
air ye good lookin' like yer pap-but some
how this day we've got yer grandpap's look.
whut's up? Anything out O the COM
mon2'
.I can't say-yet," Ned said. speaking
very low, then quickly: Say, Cleggett, is
there any chance Of my getting at that
phone, with nobody around listening%
None Z all tell shet up shop-thatll be
Ground midnight" Cleggett answered, snil-
ing grimly. Maybe 1 won't keep open that
long. though he went on Ell TINS keeps
up, pears like I'd better shet down sellin
and take orders fer town-maybe them
fellers in thar'd gimme er commission.
Not a doubt of it-but 1 must get that
wire" Ned said, his mouth setting more
obstInateIy than ever CIeggett grinned
I'm shore we're welcome to IT.. he said
but that's ell I kin do ter help ye; tain't
to be expected that I'd clear out the sto'-
some few air a-buyin' III spite O. the
AS matter Of fact almost everybody
was buying -Cleggett's sarcasm was but
the effervescence Of his disappointment
over the Massey orders. His three clerks
were all on the jump. and the credit desk
showed under with futtering slips. Gro
ceries. toys. dry goods, anything. people
stood three deep before the counters, 1ost-
ling and crowded gleefully, chanerlng as
they crowded and buying. buying. all the
time. in such volume the clink OF silver
dollars accented the hubbub OF gossip. The
crowd showed all sorts and conditions of
men, boys and children. The women in It
were either black. or Of the white renter
class. Such sparse gentlewomen as came to
the store bought whatever they had come
Tor without leaving IHeiC DuSBleS Every
thing made way for the buggies-the
loungers gossiping on the porch, the foot
crowd on beyond, even the heavily loaded
tobacco wagons, in walt for their turn at
the scales.
Tobacco was the regions main money
crop. Cleggett bought II loose. mainly In
the way OF trade. Renters and croppers of
any complexion nearly always sold him the
extra crop" planted in the name of the
women folks, so as not to be bound for
the rent, and thus to supply the indispensa-
bic Christmas money. Christmas came
upon the Tuesday Of next week-hence the
deliveries Of this Saturday the best sort
OF handling weather. Low clouds feecy
gray, raced across the sky, letting fall now
and then few big drops. There would be
steady rain as soon as the wind lulled. That
was what had brought the whole section
across the creek pellmen to the store The
creek, dry through six months OF the year
had not a single bridge in its twenty-mile
course. A big rain would send 1t out OF
banks and keep 1t past fording for at least
three days.
Thus man and wind and weather had
conspired TO keep Ned from any chance OF
privacy. When he stepped out on the porch
with his purchases under his arm he saw
heads and hats stretching the breadth OF
the big road all along the store front, and
marked beyond, three wagon loads of fresh
customers clattering down the hill. The
hill hardly deserved that name-it was nc
more than a low swell But since the creek
ran at It's foot and the railroad was carved
out or Its lower edge, there was some ex-
cuse for considering 1t In the station 8
name. Ned pulled his hat lower, pushed