The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-08-09
BREEZY, GRoCER's CLERK.

When the prosperous though un-
progressive firm of Casper w. Leslie
& Co., grocers, hired him they
thought they had secured an ordi-
nary clerk, and gave themselves no
further concern. They already had
a force of about a dozen clerks, be-
sides half a dozen delivery teams.
They had hired clerks for twenty
years, and it was to them trouble
some and vexatious proceeding. They
frowned at first at his slight frame,
but when he put a PROSTATE sugar
barrel on end with easy unconcern,
all objections were Immediately with
drawn.
His surname was the leveling one
of Smith, and his Christian name
highly Christian-Hezekiah. His
mother called him "Zeke" and his
companions, Breezy"
Breezy entered upon his work
whistling in supreme content. He
was at the bottom of the commercial
hill, and was preparing to run up to
the top. He had no star-high am
bitions to make him dream, no love
affairs to make him forgetful, and no
vices to keep him from doing his
best. There wasn't a lazy tendon in
his body. He was not tall. If he had
been, he would have been lazy. He
was short, thin, black-eyed, nervous,
and muscular. Before his ponderous
companions got an idea through their
heads, Breezy was halfway done
with the action. A few thought he
was a genius but they were mis-
taken. Breezy was innocent of the
smallest spark. He just had a heavy
capital of nervous energy that made
him work while others were content
to lounge.
They put him behind the fruit
counter. His first act was to clean
it up and "fx things" generally.
"Such rum way of doing business" !"
he muttered, quite like an experience
ed grocer, scowling at the hidden
waste and slipshod displays of his
predecessor. When he was through
with the counter there was absolutely
no fault to find with it. But he was
not satisfied. He went into the Gel
lar and started to saw and nail some
boxes to make receptacles for various
things back of his counter.
"What are you doing here?" said
the pompous and obese superinten-
dent, finding him at work.
"Oh," said Breezy carelessly,
''I'm just getting some boxes in shape
to put dirt and tools in at my coun-
ter"
eve have got carpenter to do
that" said the superintendent, with
displeasure; "get up where you be-
long and tend to your customers"
Breezy went up, and finished the
boxes later while the superintendent
was absent. He cleaned the fruit on
his stand four times day. cit gets
so blamed mussed up" he said brisk
1y to a fellow clerk who looked as
kance at the action.
"The other clerk didn't" replied
his companion suggestively.
Didn't he?" said Breezy coolly.
Ofcourre the clerks laughed at him.
His tie was awry and of Objectionable
hue, and his trousers lacked the prop
er cut and crease.
The fruit trade was slow, and Bree-
zy was highly impatient. The su-
perintendent compelled him to stay
behind his counter, and he had to
gaze impatiently over the bustling
crowd of the store, which seemed to
stop at every other counter but his.
Twice, when the superintendent was
not about, he made a personal can
vass among the shoppers and secured
a number of sales. The third time
he was discovered and peremptorily
ordered back.
After closing time, Breezy was abb
sent minded aud restless. The noise
of the overhead cash system the
aroma of freshly roasted coffee, of
bacon, and of cheese; the click of the
weighing scales the scraping of the
busy scoops; the shrill staccato OF
the register bells and opening draw
ers; the rustic of the wrapping pa
per the shuttle of hurrying feet; the
rumble of the drays on the cobbles
outside; the incesant hum of voices,
and the ever-changing panorama of
shoppers-all these had become to
Breezy the breath Of life, and he sigh
ed for them 1ongingly ere the even
ings were over. He had a printing
press, and lie set type as means OF
diversion-all matter concerning the
grocery store.
He set up card and embodied in
it an idea that he had conceived. He
printed 500 of them-all the card
board he had. They were invitations
to the public to have any and all sorts
of fruit delivered at their homes at any
time by telephone orders. He laid
one on Mr.. Leslie's desk the next
morning.
Thompson" Breezy heard Leslie
call shortly afterwards to the super