The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1909-04-30

Floyd was not mistaken in the trap
he had SO skillfully laid for Jonas, for
when he arrived at the Office Monday
morning Jonas Jones seemed to have
something on his mind. He reported
that sales had kept up a good steady
average, and then, as if resenting some
personal injury, he demanded to know
If Floyd was so anxious to get rid Of
a good thing, why he had not given
him a chance to buy it.
How much will that Chicago man
give you for the state rights?" he
asked.
"Oh, l don't think I'll have any trou-
BILE in selling out to him for $25, O00,"
was the reply.
Jonas shifted ~uneasily in his chair.
That's a lot of money" he droned in
a far-away voice. "A lot of money, but
a man could make it back in no time,
and then make a big profit. Look
here, would you sell to me It that
price, and take over the little place
you've got an option on at $4,000"
"No, I'm afraid not, Mr.. Jones. While
I'm not tied up in the matter Of the
man who is thinking of buying, don't
think it's right to start a new trade I'm
til I'm off with the old one. Still. the
thing is new and there is some other
territory that might suit my friend as
well. l want to say though that I've
decided not to buy the Floyd place.
Jimmy has some relatives that I'm
going to send him to-"
I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll give
you the $25, 900 cash on the nail, and you
won't have to bother with the other
party. So long as you are not tied
down to him why not take a good offer.
when somebody else makes it fiat?
What do you say?"
What do 1 say? Well, Jones, I don't
know but what you are right. A bird
in the hand is worth two in the bush.
You can send for the lawyer with the
papers"
Within an hour Jonas was on hand
with the attorney and a certified check
for $4,000. A couple Of hours later
Jonas had paid off and discharged the
force Of high priced statesmen. He was
going to run things his own way and
make big profits.
Jonas Jones started a half dozen
men out with a supply OF the new
patent kinder bright and early the
next morning. At night the six men
reported hat there was nothing do
ing. One nan had sold one kinder.
The others had been chased from every
door. He concluded that he might have
been a bit rash in turning OFF the expe-
rienced men, but thought he would try
it another day, and if it did not work
he would write the factory to send ex-
perienced agents back to him at the
old scale of pay. He did try it another
day, and still another, and then Jonas
CHANGED to think there might be some
thing wrong. He started an investfga-
ton of his own, and, taking a street on
which one of the old agents was sup
posed to have sold many kindlers, he
did not find a trace of a single pur-
chaser.
What Jonas might have learned, but
did not, was that the henchmen OF
Floyd had merely taken their wares
to a vacant room that had been rented
for the purpose and then loafed about
time to bring Jones the little
pile of silver with which Floyd sup
piled them for the purpose each day.
Not one of them had yer attempted
RI soil a kinder.
Jonas consulted an attorney, and
found that there was not n chance
n ten thousand of getting any s~atisfac-
ton through the courts. The patent
was all right, even if it was not prac-
ticable and salable. For the very first
time in his life, in the language of Doc
Floyd, Jonas was "stung."
Doc Floyd met Jack Cleland at the
High Rollers club ten days after his
sale to Jonas Jones. He had spent q
week with his old aunt in. Virginia
81 saw a little place down there I'd
ike to buy and settle down into the
life of a respectable country gentle
man," Floyd was saying.
.Oh, cut it out" returned the pes
,imistic Cleland. "The mere fact that
you've adopted a kid doesn't necessar-
" mean that you've turned respect
able. It's an old saying that any bird
prey will fight for its young. Stu,
are going the nature takers a
peter. None of them has told us q
story Of an old gray eagle adopting .
1oungster to look after"
Copyright. 1909. by w. g. Chapmanl