The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-01

Briggs. I had never dreamed of a
two-eyed needle"
'I was in here last May she said,
''and at that time. after telling me a
dozen lies. you said"
Yes, I offered YOU the superinten-
dency of The Everlasting Chewing
Gum company at a salary of $17,5O0 a
year. We had had girls in Chicago,
Boston and Philadelphia chewing on
our gum day and night for two years
without exhausting it, and we had
every reason to believe that they
could go on chewing forever. Alas! for
our hopes! The milkweed crop failed
last year, and one of our principal in
gradients could not be had at any price,
and there was nothing to do but to
bust. Do L control the milkweed crop,
my dear woman? Could anyone pre-
dict that the weed would suddenly be-
come scarcer than diamonds? We
tried tar. mutton talIow and other sub
stitutes, but 1t was no use. However,
You are ready with another big
lie, suppose ?"
Your language hurts me- my dear
Mrs. Briggs, but you are a dear old
friend and I will say nothing. In the
old days when I was hard up-when
fortune turned her back on me and
walked around without strings to my
shoes, you not only did my laundry
work in the best possible manner, but
one day you insisted that L accept of a
small loan. Shall L ever forget that
day?"
I'D like to forget it!' she replied
with a snap of her jaws. ST never
offered you a loan. I knew you were
a deadbeat, and L was trying to col
lect for the laundry work when you
came to me with tears in your eyes and
begged for 81. was green enough to
give it to you. Major Crofoot, you
owe me s4.20. and I'll have it or raise
the biggest kind of a row."
your bill my dear woman, is cor
rect-perfectly correct, and a check
awaits you. But first. however,
There is no first about it. I want
that money!"
"But first, however, my dear old
friend and helper in the dark days, I
wish to call your attention to our latest
scheme. You know what the clam is.
of course? He is a living, breathing
creature. but owing to the fact that he
has neither claws, teeth nor spurs, he
falls certain prey to many other
creatures. Not one clam in one hun
dred arrives at maturity. Those who
do survive are kept in such state of
suspense and anxiety that they ac-
cumulate no fat and store up no juices.
If the clam could be protected, my
dear Mrs. Briggs"
my bill is $42o." she interrupted.
as she rose I'D.
IF the clam could be protected for
the space of five years. say-if he could
be guaranteed life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness for that period, what
would be the result? 1t is very easy to
guess. We should have CLAIMS as large
as dinner plates and as juicy as water
melons. The world would bow to us as
a clam country. Orders would be ship
ped to every part of the inhabited globe
There would be tens of millions in it,
my dear woman-tens of millions.
my bill or I will smash somethingi"
"And so, old friend" continued the
major as he walked around with his
hands behind his back, II have or
ganized what will be known as The
A
ton company. and we shall have our
charter in d week or so. As soon as we
get it we shall want a secretary at a
salary of at least $4,000 a year, and
here and now"
Mrs. Briggs drew in her breath with
a gasp and looked around for some
thing to smash.
And here and now, friend of my un-
fortunate days. which trust are gone
never to return. offer you the position
and predict that you will fill it to the
satisfaction of all concerned. You can
assume your duties next week, and
you to help pay the expense of incor-
poration you may pass it over. Tt will
be still further evidence"
Major, this is too muchi" said the
woman, as tears of indignation filled
her eyes.
at needn't necessarily be So bill, but
five ones will do. I will give you a let
ter to my banker. and you can draw"
Mrs. Briggs walked over to the ma
jor's safe and pulled the door open.
There were only two or three cigar
stubbs inside. Then she lifted the safe
It was one of pine and made to order.
With a sudden heave she elevated it
above her head. and then brought it
down on the floor with a smash, and
turned and walked out. The major
looked after her in sorrow. and he look
ed at the wreck on the floor with re-
greet.
TOO bad-too bad" he sighed. "She
was friend to me when 1 had to beat
the public or starve and I wanted to
show her that gratitude still lives in at
least one human heart!''-(Copyright
1904, by T. c. McClure.)