The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26

Copyright, 1907, by Ellis Parker Butler. YTNHE little book agent walked out
 of the glare of the mid-afternoon
 x sun into the gloom of the aro- matic depths of the Kilo Livery and Feed stables, and for 0 minute he could see nothing in the darkness. He stood min ute to let his eyes grow accustomed to the dark, and as he stood the forms of s. Potts and Daniel gradually became distinct, s. Potts standing at the end of A stall calmly oiling a set of harness, and Daniel sitting patiently on -an upturned bushel basket at his side.
 It was the coolest place in Kilo, and silent, except for the occasional stamping of A horse's hoof or the switching of q tail s. Potts had stopped talking when the little book agent entered, and Daniel seldom talked at all. He sat at the feet of S. Potts and absorbed the wisdom that dropped from his lips as from perpet- ually active fountain.
 It had been a good day for Eliph' Tew- 1Ittl, and he had sold ten copies of Jar by's Encyclopedia of Knowledge and Con- pendium of Literature, Science and Art already. That morning he had received a letter from Jarby & Gloss. New York, telling him that he was, usual at the head of their list of salesnen and assur- ing him that he was beyond question the greatest living book agent of American, and Eliph' Hewlett felt like breaking records. He felt that he could sell a book to any living man, and he was ready to do 1t. He was ready to sell s. Potts a copy. He had already sold one to Daniel.
 For twenty years 8. Potts had been con nected with the Kilo Livery and Feed stagle People bought the stable and sold 1t again, and once or twice the stable had burned down. Everything changed but S. Potts and he remained long and lanky and loose jointed and straw colored In the hair He was officially the helper, hostler, coachman. horse doctor, expert judge of stock and all round man of the stable Daniel was only incidental He had been incidental for ten or twelve years and officially he was the stable boy He was 63 years, come next birth day but he was willing and eager to learn. He had a thirst for knowledge and s. Potts had a fountain of 1t, so they got along together first rate.
 They were like couple of amiable sponges; all s. Potts had to do was to squeeze himself @ little and information f1owed out in all directions, and there was Daniel, like dry sponge, ready to SOD it up In the matter of information Daniel was always as dry as a desert but s. Potts was saturated. It oozed out of him. He had plenty for every one.
 well" said s. Potts, cheerfully, glad C see ye! Right glad t see ye! was lust sayin' t Daniel how funny it was you didn't come in t sell me one of them books. begun t think you was goin' [ give me the go-by, I said to Daniel | told him it wasn't no use for you to come in but felt hurt you should pass me by that way didn't l, Danlel?'
 ''Yep," said Daniel.
 You bet said s. Potts. 'I felt hurt seen it wasn't right. When a man has been years buildin' up a repetition for knowledge, like have, and feller comes along sellin' a book that Is right in that line you'd natchelly expect the first man he would call on would be the feller with a repetition for that sort of thing. If I'm setitn' up to be a horse doctor don't go off anf try to work up trade among automobile folks. No, sir! l go to them that has horses and as is interest ed in horses, and you'd natchelly expect a man that is sellin' book of knowledge would go to them that Is interested in Knowledge. That was what l expected. But 1t wouldn't have done you no good H you had come. That book wouldn't he no use to me"
 sIt is of use to every man." said Eliph- Hewlett, containing. as 1t does, ten thou