The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-11-15

then, a party Ono names) comes and offer
to buy me out. But I'm your friend.
tell him I'll see, l come t o you n
say, 'You shall have the refusal Of 1t, m!
friend.'"
Apparently the Old Original cherished
duplicate fondness for young Baxter. TO
encountering him next night he repeated
himself, to the very laying on Of hands
Nor was there a breath of bias when h
in price, urging both to act c~onservativelJ
though the business was a metsiah Oar.
| GAIN at the price. he would admit, In
friendly way. And finally there CHANGED 9
triple encounter in the little room over hti
shop, where, after a vast deal Of haggling
Baxter outbid Hester for the business and
with 1t a clear title to tho Old Original
| ship.
The Bear flung out Of the room and
downstairs. As he paused modify I'm the
musty cavern of a shop, with its low cell.
ing. grimy walls and gutter1ng candle,
! there was a light step, and he turned &C
| encounter the delicate face of his rival.
The newcomer met his defiance with a
half-embarrassed smile: then. as caught
by an impulse. said: "Pm sorry. Would
you care to buy the business from me?'
AT what price?" sneered the Bear, turn
ing away.
Don't let's be enemies" he ~persevered,
pleasantly, extending his hand.
The Bear turned. in desperation, and
gave 1t a vicious grip. Breaking an awk-
ward pause. he blurted, Have a smoker"
"I-I-thanks.' murmured the other.
weakly. isn't it ~rather-rather strong?'
And he dropped the cigarette after a few
pulls, while the Bear glowered secretly.
'Bah! Woman stomach!
They talked awhile in that dim charnel-
house of unredeemed pledges, while the
Pickering candle feebly revealed on all
sides a grotesque medley of guns. and
irons, foils, water colors. mandolins. cur
tain poles, boxing gloves. guitars, inlaid
cabinets. antique etchings. ancient-faced
clocks, heaps of musty volumes, battered
fragments of armor. and amid 1t all a
theatrical throne chair Of furnished gilt
and tattered purple canopy.
The Bear would never have admitted 1t,
but he was strangely pncifed. almost
soothed. by his frail-faced companion Of
the quiet voice and persuasive smile, and
afterwards he lay wak all night. blankly
wondering how ever he could have been
inveigled into a partnership with him. The
next morning he was heartily ashamed OF
It, and kept faith with his partner to the
extent Of maintaining secrecy. And thus
each mother came TO regard herself and
son as the sole proprietors of the business,
and thereafter when one drawled dryly
across In the early morning. "Yosher Ko-
wach! May your strength increase, my
fine Old Originate" the other held 1t un-
worthy a reply, a " for a grin. inscruta-
BILE smile.
Now tho Mother Bear. being a business
woman, anticipated the next step; but be-
fore being a business woman she was a
woman. and felt plqued at not having been
consulted. and acted priviiy on her antici-
patton. The fugitive parrot Of Mother Bax-
ter AFFORDED an opening wedge. She re-
turned the bird with a disstmulatfve Take
the shrieking devilg' which slight Mother
Baxter not only swallowed with a wry
smile. but restored a fat gold earring
witch Mother Hester had lost. There fol-
Il wed felicitations with sheathed claw.
Mother Hester extended her amber snuff
box; Mother Baxter produced two glasses
end a flask Of raisin wine Said Mother
Baxter. between sips. "A strAppfng boy
yours. nelghbor." Returned Mother Hes
ter, with protesting palms, But as a
child, what a grower! New clothes four
tines a yeari Ell, what expenses that
young man representa- And she recip-
saying. "a handsome lad. yours,
but delicate. chr,
Hear. o Israeli shrilled Mother Bax-
ter. n she licked the ailments on her
"Scarlatina, whooping cough. ma
laria, chicken pox. measles. Oh" she con-
cluded. tossing her hands heiplessly,