The Randall County news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1908-1926, 1909-11-05
7HEPROV|S|ON DEALER
By PAUL ORlOFF.

\ disguised policeman stepped into
provision shop in the Maaja Sado-
vaga street, st. Petersburg The ear
often passed that way, and the locality
was kept under constant surveillance.
Nearly every one in the street was a
paid spy
What will you buy this morning?"
asked the shopkeeper.
Have you been here lonG?" asked
the policeman, without replying to the
question.
"No; have just opened"
you seem TO have quite number
Of customers, considering that you
have only been here since yesterday
morning"
"Oh, that is very easily explained
You see, in order to start trade | sell
very cheaply. These fowls could not
be bought anywhere else for less than
. rublcs the pair sell them for half
that"
81 See Where did you come FROM"
II have been in America for three
years past. 1t is there where | learn
ed how to attract trade. a shopkeeper
in that country will lower his prices
when he first opens. get a good ellen
tele, then gradually raise them"
THAT is II great country, America"
eyes, in everything but the govern.
ment. They have no little father
there to keep them in ordor-only n
president"
The policeman went ont thinking
there could certainly hr no harm in
provision dealer who had lived i'm
America and yet who rcvcred the czar.
The Shnpl,rcprr looked ut his retreat
ing figure Knowingly from the corner
of his eve and knit his brows. bGsying
himself nj the same time in dra wing
jug of irHin oil from caSk
That day the trade of The shopkccpcr
! 0tobo2cT, thriv"d to II still greater ey-
tent. rropl" were constantly running
to his shop and ont with parcels under
| their arms. The eyes Of the spies were
on the place. but NohozcT was so Jolly
with his customers aud gave such good
weight and large measure that il was
quite natural he should thus suddenly
step into Il brisk trade Only his fell
low trad"Smrn were Jealous of him.
and one of them shook his head and
said the officials of the government
had better look out-thcre must be
something wrong about this provision
dealer who was selling goods so low.
People VIII" lived in the Malaja Sa-
dovaga street, hearing of the low
prices for which KOboZeff sold goods.
began TO go into his shop to purchase.
For, though it had not been noticed.
those who were continually running
out with bundles were strangers of
the neghborhood. But those would-be
purchasers of the neiChborhoOd did
not seem To- find what they wanted
Either kobuZcif had not what they
were looking for in his stock or his
price on that particular article was
as high rs that of other dealers or of
inferior quality. But the provision
man went on selling people from other
localities and kept everybody in good
humor by his jokes, his banter and his
smiles. But one woman. who sold
butter and eggs from her shop oppo-
site, wondered how he could keep sell
ing goods without any apparent replen-
ishing of his stock. Going over. she
asked him how he did it,
oh" he replied, 81 get in all my
stock in the early morning before my
competitors are out of bed. learned
(,
men hustle"
One morning Il carriage stopped be
fore Kobozeff's shop, and a young girl
alightcd. KoboZeff was waiting on Il
customer and started as she entered.
Il am told" she said TO the shop
keeper, that your phcasants are
prime. How much the pair"
"WiIl your ladyship wait a moment
till do up these eggs for this woman,
and | will show them to you"
When the customer had departed the
lady, leaning over a pair Of birds she
was examining, whispered 10 Kobozeff:
He has changed his plans. He
lunches with the Grand Duchess Cath
crime Michaelovna and will return by
another route"
"Ach." replied kobozeff, paling
"Then we, too must change our plans,
but for our certain death"
Have you all ready here" asked
the girl.
The work is just finished. The tun-
mel is complete from behind my wife'S
bed to the center of the street.
And where is the earth you have
taken OUT"
Carried away in parcels by supposed
customers"
What will you do now
Give our lives to the cause"
At that moment Il boy with Il basket
on his arm entered the shop.
81 will take these pheasantS," said
the girl handing kobozelf a coin.
and she went to her carriage. the
tradesman following with the birds.
Then she was driven away. She was
the Countess Perouskaya. in league
with the cOnSDiratorS bent on aSSaSSi-