Mower County transcript., 1904-09-21

merchant were closing the warehouse
to go to supper, Kenner came along on
the way to his boarding house. '"They
say old Lib's been hangin' round Bob's
store all day watchln' i'm like hawk" !"
he Informed them, with laugh. HE
caynt hide his interest AS soon as
Bub I'D make a sale the old man nd
run up to the cash drawer an count
the change an ask the cost of the
article. He's neglectin' his own mat
ters. I'll swear it's funny. Eff he's
talked with one man today he has with
forty about Bob's venture. He wanted
to find out what folks thinks, an he's
literally astonished to find so many
believe Bob knows what he's a-dOin'.
II seed i'm a-standin' in Bob's door
watchin' Bob an Heneker Brothers
bidd1n' agin one another to buy load
O. mountain chickens. I spoke to Lib,
but he Jest kept chaw1n' his tobacco,
30 much absorbed he didn't hear me.
Then we seed the feller start to drive
up to Bob's door, an old Lib clapped
his hands together an said: BY gum!
Bob got 'em! But he sorter cooled
down when the chickens was unloaded
an he heard Bob had bid is cents
apiece all round. he grabbed Bob as
he was passin' an said, Say, don't
you think you went too steep on that
load9 Bob was purity red. anyway,
from lifting at the coops-he was so
anxious to get 'em in his shebang-an'
he got redder, but he pulled the side
O. his face down an looked to see that
the feller couldn't hear, an said: Ssh!
rye got 'em already sold in Atlanta at
20 cents apiece, an that galoot's goin'
to take his pay in coffee at 1S cents
pound-coffee that cost 10 in New Or
leans. You see whar I come in, don't
your
"'You better go it sorter slow at the
start Lib said, but he was simply
tickled to death. I'll swear it was fun
to watch i'm! He'd rather see that
boy learn how to handle money than
fer i'm to be elected governor o. this
state"
Old Hanks seldom left his home after
supper, but that evening he dropped
in at Hillyer's, finding the merchant
and his wife before cheerful fire in
the sitting room. He came In awk-
wardly, but his self possession was
thing he always had with him. Ken
ner had once said that Hanks could sell
scrap iron in pigeon tailed coat and
white vest and never realize the odd
ity of his appearance. His brogan
shoes were united, as If he had started
to go to bed and changed his mind.
~ see Bob's got that store to goin',"
he said dryly. 1--WE been sorter watch
in i'm today. I hardly know what to
make Of I'm"
Hillyer looked knowingly at his sm1l-
ing wife and replied:
$50 he's got opened up, has hep
"Opened up? I reckon he has; tuck
in ninety odd dollars today, an the
Lord only knows what profit he'll av-
erage I don't reckon Bob does, from
what observed, though he amt losin'
so fur"
"Oh, he'll hold Sandford's trade"
said Hillyer "You kin count on that"
"Well, l reckon he WILL" said Mrs.
Hillyer. 'I've changed my account to
him from Waters & Co. An why
shouldn't I? Do you reckon I'm not
goin to encourage rail enterprise?
Jest the minute he told me he was
a-goin' to run a free delivery wagon
to take orders an deliver goods twice
day I put my name down. The idea
O. them old fogies waitin' for young
Bob Hanks to start a free delivery!
Why, the minute told Mrs. Dugan
about it she mighty nigh had a spasm,
she was so glad. I seed her ag'in jest
before supper. She'd been down an
ordered a whole raft O. stuff she didn't
need jest to see 'em come up like they
do in cities. She's been trampin' from
one end O. town to t'other tellin' folks
they won't have to make a step either
way to git what they want fer the ta-
BILE. Bob's boy I'll call the first thing
in the mornin' an write down what's
wanted, an up the stuff comes. He's
got some little-have you seed them
little books he's givin' away fer body
| to write orders in? Oh, you have!
Well, it's a powerful good idea. No
body kin dispute Their account when
it's writ in Their own handwritin'. Mr.
Hanks, as shore as yore a-settin' thar,
| Bob's goin' to succeed"
| Hanks looked at the fire. His eye,
usually a dead thing, held twinkle,
or was it only the reflection of the
flames In the chimney?
II sOrter like his start" he admitted.
II was always afeard O. the influence
O. that trifin' set O. boys he was runnin'
with, but today Bill Boglc-the wust
of the lot-drawed up a chair in front
O. the door whar Sandford used to set
an Whittfe an started to take a seat,
but, bless you, Bob called i'm to taw-
told i'm he wasn't a-goin' to have his
friends settin' round the front O. the
store that a-way-said it didn't look
businesslike, an he was goin' to start
right an sorter hew to the lire. Then,
ag'in, one o. the clerks that Sanford
T llAed to Let do ny1rfv ynsrch az ho lflkod