Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-10-13
EVENING SHORT STORY.
He MADE A SALE.
STORY OF AN OLD MAHOGANY
DESK.

lamps, OLD iron, plate-glaSk
partitions, waste baskets, butchers
blocks, thread cabinets, ~bedsteads-
everything that you see around you. II
anybody is sold up I'm at the sale. II
you want to furnish a house complete
from garnet to basement call on me and
III sell you a good, serviceable outfit
that win answer you just as we'll as il
you bought it bran spick-and-span new
and it won't cost you very much more.
either. If you want to sell your furni-
ture I'll buy it and pay you cash for it.
1t won't be as much as you expected to
get, but it will be cash.
| nave to buy cheap and sell dear. |
couldn't get along if | didn't. Some OF
my stock | never may sell. There's a
risk to it. But people who say | haven't
any conscience are mistaken. I've got
a conscience and a heart. I'm sorry 70
say. If it hadn't been for that l wouldn't
have been robbed by that rascal
Theason.
He came into my shop and wanted to
know If | had such thing as a second
hand pair of dentists forceps. Well, |
hadn't. | had a Doctors chair and a
nickel-plated cuspidor. That was the
nearest | could come to it. He seemed
a good deal disappointed. but he priced
the chair and asked if | could let him
ave it on installments. said | could
and he said he'd think about 1t and then
went gawping around the store in a sort
of aimless way and stopped at a stained
pine bookcase, which he seemed to take
a great interest in. He priced that.
said he could have 1t for four dollars and
his face fell. Then he put his hand down
on a little old spindle-legged writing
desk hat was right next to it and asked
what I'd take for that. / bid that in
at a sale for 80 cents. 1t was away out
OF date. but there was some inlay on it
that took my eye and it was good
mahogany, toe. The wood, | calculated,
was worth a couple of dollars. asked
him ten dollars for it.
"Oh, pshaw!" he said. "Nonsense!"
But right there | saw a CLEAN in his
eye that if it wasn't joy don't know
joy when | see it. 1t put me on my
guard. He looked innocent n as IL he
didn't have too much money; but you
never can tell. He yer back to the pine
bookcase though and began dickering on
the price again; tried TO beat me down to
$3.50 after I'd com down to two dollars.
But saw his eye go back to the writing
desk and as he was leaving the store he
says: You weren't in earnest when you
said ten dollars for that old desk. were
your"
HNnp 7 enid ct rro. H.
wouldn't begin to buy that desk. Solid
mahogany, that is, and inlaid at thai
No, don't want to sell that desk. was
just joking when | said ten dollars"
Its a bigger joke asking more for it,"
he said. Don't you get in the habit of
joking that way or they'll have you up
before the lunacy commission. Good
day"
He went out, and as he went down the
street | began to kick myself.
| went back and looked at the desk.
and the longer | looked at it the worse /
liked it. Hanged if | wouldn't have
taken two dollars for it and let it go.
OF course, if had taken a day or so TO
clean it up and varnish it and put new
brass handles and knobs on it, I might
have sold it for five or six dollars.
thought. | might have made a sale to
him for that much, though Gilman. the
furniture man, was making a leader in
golden oak desks for $3.50.
Along toward evening | saw my man
coming along the street, but he didn't
come in. and | kicked myself again and
wondered il I'd ever get bach the 80
cents | paid out for that blamed desk.
The next day, though. hanged if he
didn't come in and ask me il | wouldn't
take two dollars for the bookcase.
Yes | said. Take it along"
You'll deliver it without any extra
charge. won't your" he said.
Certainly" | replied. But he didn't
seem pleased.
Wouldn't like to sell me that desk.
would you?'' he went on.
"Aha!" / thought, Il wasn't mistaken
after all. That's what he's after"
Then | said sarcastically: ''You seem
to have taken a fancy to that DESK"
He looked at me in that innocent way
he had and then he said: II might as
we'll be candid with you have taken a
fancy to 1t. Or. rather, my wife has. AS
a matter of fact, that desk belonged to
her mother and she has a sentimental
wish to have 1t back in the family. 1t
is a long story of how that desk became
lost and 1t would not interest you. so
won't go into that. W that | want it.
but my means are no, - 80 ana ! feared
that you might ash me q i.;Sh artce for it
if betrayed this oesire. Nj wife Is in
delicate health and il | disappointed her
| am fearful of the consequences. You
will forgive me for my deception, | hope.
and make the price of the desk eight
dollars anyway. Don't vol think you
could let me have it for eight dollars?"
MY dear sir" | said. there's nothing
to forgive at all, and seeing it's to
please a lady and that it belonged to her
mother. who. | assume, Is now deceased.
| will show you that | have feelings.
~. a - go La..- e.. arc -