The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1909-07-16


ceived a long-distance communication
from Cynthia Browning herself. She
had piles and piles of feather pillows
and holsters and such like. dating back
to her first grandparents after Adam
and she had taken a sudden notion to
give up washing them herself and
have them renovated.
You can rest assured that so great
a hustler as Newton lost no time in
reaching such Z splendid fOraging
ground as Miss Cynthia's big, old
fashioned house. She took him all rel
the place, and showed him scores of
plump ticks and pillows reposing on
magnificent four-posted beds. Then
they had a long business talk in the
front parlor, in which, contrary to his
usual custom, Newton let down a little
in his prices. The result Of it all was
that he held a $35 contract to clean
every feather in the whole house to
the best Of his knowledge and ability.
1t was nearly moo by the time bust
ness was over, and what turned out to
be the worst thing which could happen
to poor Newton did happen-he accept
ed Miss! Cynthia's invitation to din.
ner.
Now; right here is a point which
you might probably work into your
next winters sermons" Rimbey's
glance rested obviously upon the min
lister from Michigan. Newton was q
mighty smart fellow, and a moral, up
right fellow, but, like most everyone
else, he had one great weakness-his
was an Unsuitable desire OF buy old fur.
niture at a low price, fix it up, and
pass it on at a mighty big figure.
The first moment he sat down at
Miss Cynthia's table he was the hap
piest man around. His eyes couldn't
take in anything but Miss Cynthia's
fried chicken, and luscious rolls, and
sa~tiny-white potatoes, and goldy-brown
gravy. Then his glance travelled a lit.
tie farther, and rested upon Miss Gym
thia's pink-cheeked niece, who was a
soothing sight, indeed, to him, in spite
of the fact that Newton had little time
to give to the whims of women l
guess it was then, when the pretty
niece dropped her lashes very properly
under the strangers insistent gaze.
that his eyes turned. confusedly, down
the full length of the room and fell
with a jerk upon the sideboard-the
long, cleaning, perfectly upright. per.
fectly irreproachable ~sideboard which
1lled in almost one end of the big
room. Newton was almost hypnotized
by It,"
The professor stirred delightedly. Il
can Just see it." he said. MY grand
mother had one"
after that" Rmbey continued,
with an approving smile for the profss.
sor. 1T might just as well have been
stones and bullets that Newton was
eating. He had only n thought-to
become immediate possessor of that
sideboard. AS o as he could gulp
down his dinner he excused himself
for being in such a hurry to get of,
and her beckoned his hostess to one
side and offered her $50 down. Miss
Cynthia only laughed. One hundred
then-and the feathers renovated fol
nothing. It wal all useless. 1t was a
family heirloom, end in the family IT
was going to stay till doomsday, If she
Miss Cynthia-had anything to dc
with the disposition of it. Ten thou.
sand wouldn't buy it; and he might
just as well give up his notion first as
last. : Thirty-fve dollars he would re-
ceive, however, If he renovated the
feathers in the proper manner.
We'll, you know how it is, gentle.
men. Because the s%ideboard was en-.
tirely beyond his clutches, his very
mortal existence seemed to hang on
getting hold of it. He ate with 1t.