The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-02-14
MISS HANNAH, BUYER
BY JOHN H. RAFrERY,


didn't matter what his Zine" was, he al
ways got the trade and held it till some en-
terprising manufacturer offered him high
er salary and sent him forth to new tri-
umphs with different display of sam
pies. That was in the old days, of course
before nearly every speciality fell into
the hands of some trust-in the good old
palmy days when commercial traveller
had to be something more than a sand
witch man" or distributor of circulars to
succeed.
Oliphant won with every branch of the
trade, and as he rambled leisurely over the
Incompatible land of the afternoon"
made for himself plans of the future,
which contemplated settling down in his
favorite town with his favorite girl to
spend the afternoon and evening of his life
in the calm avoidance of hotels, time ia
bles, price lists and route schedules.
Perhaps it was natural sequence, but
anyway it was Oliphant's luck to find that
the best girl he knew lived in the very
town upon which he had set his heart.
The town was Hermosa, a picture vii
lage nesting ia the mountains lap. The
girl was Hannah Trip, buyer, bookkeep-
er, partner and general manager of one of
the two general stores of the town.
| For nearly ten years she had been one of
| his best customers From his first visit he
had never failed to get from Hannah an
order for hardware, woodenware, china
ware, druggists sundries, paint and putty
or whatever happened to be in his cline"
Old man Trip, her father, left all the
buying to her, and so far as Oliphant knew
| she was as shrewd as she was pretty, and
as good a tinancier as she was a good
housekeeper. The rival store of Hermosa
was kept by Ike Axelstein, weazen buck
ster of forbidding mien, who had not
bought 500 worth from Olpihant in as
many months.
The good-natured Oliphant, who loved
Hannah's filial loyalty best of all her good
qualities, had wooed her in the most unro-
mantle and most rational way, and, old
man Trip having been kept out of the Sc
cret for reasons which Hannah kept to
herself, she had promised to name the
wedding day, when, by a fortuitous COM
bination, her lover had made up his mind
to quit the road and her father had made
up his mind to quit business.
At last one day, after an absence of six
months, Oliphant walked into the store of
Trip & Co., and for the first time found
the old man enthroned on the high stool
behind the cashiers desk.
where's Miss Hannah?" chirped the
rosy travelling man, after they had eN-
changed situations.
Left for Denver this morning" said
Trip, sliding his spectacles down to the
in nohow Fact is, l made up my mind
t. sell out. L"
Sell out!" gasped Oliphant. 'Why, ]
d;Jp't Inv, didn't van foil me-
yep; sell out, that's what. And Han
ners gone to Denver for to be a school
teacher
"Why, l thought you never would sell
out, Tripp," Oliphant was saying. II
thought your heart was so set on this
business"
"An' so twas" growled Trip. 81
thought Hammer never made no mistake:
an left the buyin' all to her. Jest lool
here, Oliphant."
The old fellow got off his stool and lee
the way back into the musty wareroom
where he stood in melancholy solemnity
pointing to piles and rows of dust-covered
woodenware, chinaware, hardware, drug
gists' sundries, paint and putty.
''There's $4,000 with O. them burned
things" said Trip. Lord knows what
made Hammer buy EN-. But she did, an
what's more, she paid for em, an stood
off the firms which was sellin' us live
goods"
ELEPHANTS eyes were bullying as he
strolled amongst the mountains of dead
stock" 1t was all his goods Hannah had
not only bought from him, but had paid
his house and let others wait for their
pay.
THAT there's the reason why I'm agoin
to sell out" said Trip, 'sbut it's Hanner's
goin' to taown that worrits me most. She
cried like baby when we went over then
invoices an looked over what we owe
Why, the best price | can git for the store
won't more'n pay what we owe, an II
pay if I've got to die in the porehouse."
Oliphant heard no more, said no more
till the old chap asked:
n "What are you sellin' this time?"
Nothing, Trip, nothing. Fact is,
just-Tripp, did you know that Axelstein
was selling out?'
Eyes, l knowed it. He's sellin' out be
cuz he's too rich for Hermosa an I'm sell
ing out becuz I'm too pore"
morning"
other skinhint, reckon"
tiSH I1dHlldii, pdAS, lllSu duQ
ging big telescope valise, came in, stared
a second at Oliphant, gave him her hand
and sat down on soap box.
Il missed my train, papa" was all she
said.
"Glad of it, Hammer" said Trip
Here's Oliphant been telling that old AK
elstein has done sold his store. Wonder
who bought it,"
"Why, he bought it, papa. Mr. Oliphant
bought it himself not two hours ago. It's
all over town." Hannah's blue eyes re-
garded her lover bit reproachfully as she
said this. Perhaps she was thinking OF
the dead stock in the wareroom perhaps
she was wondering why he didn't at least
make bid on her fathers store. The big
fellow, with his back to the door, was do
ing little thinking, too. Gradually a
smile spread over his face as he began to
divine the reason why Hannah missed her
train, but this is what he said:
"Fact is, Hannah, l just dropped over to
look over your stock. Axestein was tell
ing me you're long on some lines, and as
he's short on the same sort of goods so