The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-10-19
THE CAKE E-AND-PIE ANGEL.
BY CARROLL WATSON RANKIN,


N**&k*k Philip CONWAY was listen
ing to- business offet
from one of his fathers old friends
IF you accept this position" th,
man was saying, you are to 90 from
place to place, all over the country
wherever any unusual gathering Is IL
progress. You are to pitch your tent
In the most prominent spot you car
ma, make tea with the apparatus we
provide, and distribute sample cup.
and advertising matter TO the crowd
In each town you will need to hire
two neat young women by the day to
serve tea and wash the dishes. You
need do none Of the actual labor your.
self, but you are TO keep things in
aiming order-to be the business man.
ager, in fact. OF course we pay all
expenses. Will you do it?"
II must do something" replied
Philip. "If you think I'm equal TO it
If you're willing to trust NELL be
glad TO try it."
Professor Kendall says you have
plenty Of executive ability. and that
you are trustworthy. Those are the
principal requirements. It's n mans
work, but | believe you are capable
of doing 1t. Come to my office to-mor-
row morning If you decide to under.
take it. and I'll give you detailed in.
structions."
The following morning Philip went
home jubilant. Forty dollars a month
and expenses seemed n prlncely sum
to the boy. He thought almost scorn-
rully OF his classmate, Sam Peters.
who was tremendously elated over the
prospect of earning five dollars q week
"Of course" said Philip, grandly, "it
isn't the sort Of thing a man wants to
engage in for life, but it's a good
thing while 1t lasts, and mother needs
every dollar 1 can earn. know Mr..
Prescott is doing this solely because he
and father were such friends, but III
Just show him that he didn't make
any mistake"
with this noble resolve the lad start
ed out upon his new and unusual en-.
terprise, pitching his tent from week
TO week In strange and divers places.
He visited towns that We're undergo
Ing the agonies OF street fairs, fire
mems tournaments, Fourth of July and
other celebrations He Travelled in the
wake of circuses and "Wild West"
shows-whereyer there was crowd.
there was Philip with his free samples
of tea.
He mastered the intracacies of
complicated gasollne-stove, solved the
problem of serving the greatest nun.
ber Of persons In the shortest space of
time, and learned to hire, with careful
Judgment, his two white-aproned as
sistants.
He discovered, too, that each town
possessed at least one small boy who
was willing, for the trifing reward of
dime and few sample packages of
tea, to I'LL his big copper boilers with
water, and to keep the freakish gaso-
line stove from exploding or otherwise
misbehavlng.
Or course Philip made mistakes at
nrst, but he profited by them. Mr..
Prescott, the tea-man, had reason to
feel that he had made a wise choice in
selecting his friends son as his ad.
vertising agent.
Wherever the lad went he made
friends. He had bright. attractive
face, he carried his handsome head
with jaunty, self.respecting air, and
he was all business. His small boy
assistants spake Of him as "the pro.
prictor" and addressed him as "slr."
Moreover, his mother was a gentle
woman; therefore, her boys speech
was refined and his manners were lr-
reproachable. "A fine boy" was the
verdict wherever he went.
The latter part OF September found
MIN In northern Michigan, where the
Carp County Agricultural Fair was In
progress. He obtained permission to
pitch his tent between what the direct.
ors facetlously called "the jelly-aud.
Jam building" and the horticultural
department. By Monday noon his out.
ut was unpacked and everything was
ready for business; but the crowd was
not ready for tea.
Ihe fair grounds were lnconvenlently
Far from town. Many o' the exhibit.
ors who had no horses ami felt too
poor T. patronize the railroad, even nj
greatly reduced rates, carried their ex.
hlbits from town, over two miles of
dusty road.
The distance from the entrance gate
TO the buildings was considerable; but
1t seemed never to occur to the loung-
Ing group OF men and boys just within
the gate to offer any assistance TO tired
old women, who fairly staggered under
the weight OF homemade pickles,
potted plants and rolls OF rag carpet.
His tent up, his samples unpacked
and his helpers instructed, Philip
found time heavy on his hands until
be discovered weary old IrIshwoman
bent almost double over huge basket
Of carrots.
"Let me help you" said Philip,
springing to her assistance.
This was only the first Of many bas-
kets that the energetic lad carried from
the gate to the buildings that day. The
people amused him by their quaint
spseches. and II did not occur to him
that he was doing anything unusual.
Toward noon he went to town for hiu
luncheon ~ he was entering the
gate Of tho fair grounds on his return
he noticed Just shead Of him . portly