Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1910-04-01
TH%EPROV|S|OND DEALER
BY PAUL oRLoEE.

vaga street, st. Petersburg. The car
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.
"Haye you been here long?" asked
the policeman, without replying to the
question.
mo; i have just opened"
"You seem to have quite a 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
2 rubles the pair. l sell them for half
that"
II see. Where did you come from?'
81 have been in America for three
years past. 1t is there where l learn
ed how to attract trade. A ~shopkeeper
in that country will lower his prices
when he first opens, get a good Glen
tele, then gradually raise them"
THAT is a great country, America"
"Yes, in everything but the govern
ment. They have no little father
there to keep them in ~order-only a
president"
The policeman went out thinking
there could certainly be no harm in a
provision dealer who had lived in
America and yet who revered the car.
The shopkeeper looked at his retreat
ing figure knowingly from the corner
of his eye and knit his brows. busying
himself at the same time In drawing a
jug Of train oil from a cask.
That day the trade of the shopkeeper
(KobozefD thrived to a still greater ex-
tent. People were constantly running
to his shop and out with parcels under
their arms. The eyes of the spies were
on the place, but Kobozeff was so jolly
with his customers and gave such good
weight and large measure that 1t was
quite natural he should thus suddenly
step into a brisk trade. Only his fell
low tradesmen were jealous of him.
and one Of them shook his head and
said the officials of the government
had better look out-there must be
something wrong about this provision
dealer who was selling goods so low.
People who 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 neighborhood. But those would-be
purchasers of the neighborhood did
not eem to find what they wanted.
Either Kobozeff had not what they
were looking for In his stock or his
nee on that partiaVlaE-a article was.
as high as that of other dealers OF of
inferior quality. But the provision
man went on selling people from other
localities and kept everybody in a 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
dSheQ 4llu NOW he QlQ IT,
"Oh," he replied, II get in all my
stock in the early morning before my
competitors are out of bed. l learned
the business in America, where trades
men hustle"
One morning q carriage stopped be-
fore Kobozeff's shop, and a young girl
%alighted. Kobozeff was waiting on q
customer and started as she entered.
Il am told" she said to the shop
keeper, that. your pheasants are
prime. How much the pair?"
"Will your ladyship wait a moment
till I do up these eggs for this woman,
and l will show them to you"
When the customer had departed the
lady, leaning over a pair of birds she
was examining, whispered to 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.
1.-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 nowY"
"Give our lives to the cause"
At that moment a boy with a basket
on his arm entered the shop.
II will take these pheasants," said
the girl. handing Kobozeff a coin.
and she went to her carriage. the
tradesman following with the birds.
Then she was driven away. She was
the Countess P~erouskaya, in league
with the conspirators bent on assassi-
mating Alexander ii. by exploding a
- -5~ foIz4- -A.N1A A.