The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-08-28
MY QUEER PARTNER.


their goods soon discovered that
there was a concern IN Minneapolis
which was selling the same grade Of
goods and always Undertaking me.
/ went over there to see II could
make scale OF prices with the under
bidding firm.
found a young man even younger
than myself. He was not acting as
agent but for himself. stated my
business, 70 which he listened atten-
lively. l argued that II he continued
to underbid me / would begin to IN.
derbid him, and one would thus ruin
each others trade. whereas II we made
prices together we could both succeed.
When l bad finished he said:
What guaranty have that you
will keep your agreement
Surprised at such a question, / re-
piled. 1.-THE same guaranty / have that
you viii keep yours"
There IL no doubt whatever that |
VIII keep any agreement shall make"
he replied. with some bauteur.
1t struck me that be should 60 to
some university for a course Of logic.
However, pursuaded him to make
list Of minimum prices with me and
left him well pleased with the result
Of my visit, We became very good
friends as well as competitors and
finally. when concluded TO act also
on my own account. we concluded. IN
order to save expenses. to form a part
nership. offered to give him FIRST
place in the firm name. but he insisted
on taking tho second. 50 we styled
ourselves Graves q Elliston.
found my partner a queer mixture.
For a time ! was virtual as well as
nominal head OF the firm. but lost 1t
IN very odd way. A man came into
cur store to buy large bin Of goods
on credit. The profit would be large,
and was brimfu OF enthusiasm over
the trade. Not so Elliston. he fat
~ refused to consent ito SELF the man.
When It came TO his reasons he had
none TO give. Irritated. ! told him
that he should explain bis position or
would dissolve the partnership.
whereupon. driven to the wall, he said
that be didn't like the shape OF the
mans nose.
Notwithstanding this absurd reason,
which ! inferred be had given simply
TO afford me an excus for not fuldll.
ing my threat, We did not sell the
goods. Some months later the notes
the purchaser had given other firms
were protested and every dollar Of the
indebtedness was lost charged 81
llston with having some information
unknown to me about the rascal, but
he denied having any whatever Never
theless from this time / never urged
entering upon any important Tansac-
ton without my partners full ap-
proval.
But when It came to matter or sew.
eral hundred or several thousand dol
lars, while / would unblnshingly make
an offer Of half the amount asked.
Elliston could never bring himself to
consider such course as anything but
ridiculous. Thus the large transac-
lions fell into my hands.
Although Elliston seemed to me to
be very notional, | gradually found
that he was a better business man
than /. he was certainly my superior
IN looking ahead. While my mind
was on the present, his was on the
future This was especially true in
the matter Of expenses / am free to
admit that had It not been for him
our expenses would have eaten up our
profits He was continually surprising
me, when payments we were Obliged
to make came round. by having pro
vided the funds to meet them This
faculty. together with bis keeping ex
penses down. made money for US every
year for several years. Then one day
Elliston told me that he wished to sell
hts In rest ia the business since be
purposed travelling abroad. This was
blow to me, for was not minded
to give up business myself, and ] was
sure / could not make money without
the aid Of the typical faculties pos
sessed By my partner However, he
gave me easy terms, and bought him
out.
AS soon as the papers had passed FL /
Iiston babe me goodby and left for
New York to sail for Naples A week (
later 1 received a letter from him at
Chicago. asking me to meet him there.
Since he gave no reason | hesitated.
However, knowing him to be d queer |
fellow who usually had a reason hid
den away somewhere for what he
did, / left my business with my head /
clerk and took train.
The next evening l called at Ellis
toms hotel and sent up my card. /
was shown to private parlor, where,
instead Of finding him, woman adj
yanced to greet me.
you're Elliston's sister, I exclatm-
ed, doubtless bis twin"
II am ElIiston himself" she replied.
And so she was. 1t was q singular
story she told mellow. having been
obliged to make her own way In the
world, she had found skirts disadvan-
tageous and finally donned mans at
tire. Having made enough to give her
several Thousand dollars year in
come, she gladly resumed her proper
attire, but not until she had left the
proximity Of those who had known
her as man.
I had always regarded my partner as
young and boyish looking. without
! beard and with musical voice
III woman's dress Margaret Elliston
that was her name-was TRANSPORTED
into very attractive woman. re-
80 A. ftf,tDnsve a vronir az fha and /