The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1908-07-17

| afr~ f1Isswins Idn - to door. and look
ing carefully MP and down the strecs,
! walked behind the coynter with Z hAsty
step and opened thu money drawer.
There was 4 small pile of bills IN "a
compartment, and in the other . collection
Of currency. He took the bills into his
hand. and looked ever them. His hands
tremhled . little, for he contemplated .
dishonest act. Unable to obtain the
money In any ether way. be meant to bcr-
row--shat vas what he called tive
dollars from the none drawer and e.
pend il il . lottery ticket.
Singing out Z 6ve-dollar bill from the
| pile. he thrust Il into his vest pocket.
He had s~carrcly done - when hs Was
startled by hearing the door open. he
made ! guilty jump but perceived, to his
relief. that il was Z woman mol living u
the villase. but probably in some adjoia-
Ing town.
"whaf can I show you. ma'amT" be
asked. IN . hurried manner. for he could
mol help thinking Of what be- had In his
rest pocket.
Il should like to look at soms It youi
sha avis" said the woman
Joshua knew very little about his farh-
c-'s stock. He did know. however. where
the shawls were kept, and going to that
portion Of the shelves pulled down halt
4 dozen and showed them to his Gus
tomer.
Are they oil woolr she asked. Cit.
ioally. examining one Of them.
Yes" answered Joshua. confidently
though be had NOT the slightest knowt
edge On the subject.
What il the price Of this oner' asked
the customer, indicating the one she had
in her hand
Five dollar" answered Joshua, with
aome hesitatioa. He knew nothing Of
the price. bat guessed that this would b
about right.
And you nay IL 10 al woelr'
Certainly. ma'am."
Il guess III take It. Will you wral
il mp for ns?~
This Joshua did awkwardly enough
and the customer departed. much pleased
with her bargain. a. she had . right Il
b., for the real price Of the shawl wal
nine dollars. but. thanks to Joshua's IL
norAnce. she had been able to save four
Joshua looked at the fve-doilar hill
he had just received, and a new idea oc
cnrred to him He replaced in the draw
er the bill he had originally taken from
1t and substituted that just received.
Il won't say anything about having
sold . shawl" he said, and fathers
never know that one has been sold. At
place the bill I have taken"
just then . little girl cams in and n
quired for . spool OF cotton. Joshua
found the spoolx and let her select one.
Then he hurriedly folded up the shawla
and replaced them on the shelves. He
had just finished the task when Walter
entered
Are you tending storey' be sale, in
surprise.
Yes said Joshua. Nichols got tired
waiting for you. 50 l told him I'D stay
| till you got back"
Il had some distance to 90 and that
detained me. Did you have any custom
erst'
Yes, l just sold . spool Of cotton to q
little girl"
II met her q little way mp the road,
holding the spool in her hand"
Well" said Joshua. Il guess I'll q
now you've got back"
lie went across the street to his faith
er's house. and. going up into his room,
locked the door. not wishing to be inter.
| rupsed. Then. opening his desk. he tool
out a sheet of paper. and wrote a note
to the address given in his lottery cir
cular. requesting the parties to send him
by return Of mail a lottery ticket. He
| added. shrewdly, az be thought, IF this
ticket draws q prize. ! will keep on buy.
ing: bat IL 1t don't l shall get discour.
aged and stop"
II gaess thatTl fetch EN-" though,
| Joshua
He fo.dsd up the paper. and. i~nclosins
| the bill. directed it. The next thing te
| do was to mail il. He decided. though
unw~iilingly. on account of the trouble
10 walk TO the next postofiice, . distance
OF three miles. to post his letter there.
Joshua returned home. feeling tired
and provoked. but co~ngratulating himself
| that he had taken the first step toward
| the grand prize which doomed il dazzling
prospect before his eyes
tn ba continued