The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-05-23
twenty-five or fifty dollars apiece in
cash
The BOy RuyS His TruuL

cash
The Boy Buys His Trunk.
They were going West in a week
at first But the stranger put OF their
departure from day 10 day. He had 10
wait for a certain letter. he said. Blu,
finally. about a week ago. ne took
the boy 10 buy a trunk. And as he
left the jewelers. shop where they
had met. / overheard him advising
Herbert to buy a cheap trunk. AZ
terward the jeweler came in TO see
me. Now he said, triumphantly.
Now what DO YOU think of our
friend? Hasn't he made good nowF'
All 1 could do was shake my head.
He had come in 10 order a suit from
me two or three days before. but
when l made it clear that a deposit
was necessary. he left without any
attempt to hand me the kin OF jolly
he used on the old ieweler. / always
suspect a man who won't leave a de-
post.
1T was last Saturday that the
stranger came into the jewelers. shop
next door for the last time. We're
COINS tomorrow i overheard him
say, and I've brought a contract for
Herbert TO sign before We go. so that
hell know exactly what he IS going
into. / always like to be rank With
people. T~wenty-four dollars a week.
and I'll push him ahead as fast as
he makes good Then they began
to talk about the strangers business.
and he mentioned carelesSly thai
he'd just sold $500 worth Of stock
to a trust They
gave me a thousand dollars in cash.
he said, and a note for $500 that So
and-So and ~So-and-So signed He
mentioned men whose names are in
the papers every day.
Being Kin to Him.
They talked about other things,
and before long / heard the range
| NV. No o,,Fr IaaN .~2 20 ~an
and 1 want to do something for you
before l go away. I'd like TO buy
some of your jewelry. How much is
hat gold watch?' The old jeweler
was pleased as a rabbit. / could hear
him pushing around trays and open
ing his cases and jabbering about
rings and watches and bracelets and
stick-pins. l know he didn't have
much stuff that wasn't plated, SO l
was amused. Every now and then
the stranger would say: Show me
some more gold stuff Or, Haven't
you got any more gold chains?'
And at last 1 heard him say: I
haven't got enough spare cash 10 pay
you for all these things. How much
are they? Two hundred. and fifty
dollars Well. I'll tell you continued
the stranger. IN cave you this note
for $500. You can cash it and get
your $3.50, and then send the bal
snce on to me-. The old jswelsr
Oll Inc d 1911. IL dEh ~
they fixed it up hat way. Just then
Herbert came in and the stranger
turned to him. We're going tomor-
row, Herbert he said. Meet me
at the Grand Central at ten All
right said Herbert, III go part way
up town with you And as he left
the shop, he said sood-by to the
old man. You won't see me again,
1 guess he called.
Il don't know why it was, but
thought to myself: We'll. I'm not so
sure about that, my boy SO I went
on cutting without hollering any
good-by, myself.
Monday morning. just after ! open
ed up, 1 heard Herbert's voice mex,
door. l jumped in there as fast as ]
could. Say 1 said, I thought you
were out where the wild winds come
from Herbert was almost crying
and the old man locke pretty bad
It's nothing to laugh at said Herbert
"That-that fellow never showed up
at the Grand Central yesterday. And
+, all my best jewelry.' said the old
man. with a sniffle. All my best jew
elry. What am I going to do? What
am I going to do?' I asked him 10
show me the note the stranger had
i. left. but l had to tell him it wasn't
worth the ink 1T was written with.
What are they doing about it
What can they do about it? If you'll
look into the jewelry-shop. az YOU
> go by, you'll see Herbert at his table,
1 thin the old mans there, too"
2 Sure enough, as one walked pas,
1 the dingy little shop, there was a
/. fitting glimpse of a very old man,
{ with bent. tired shoulders huddled
over a pathetically small showcase,
into which he was looking as II i
was one of those marine-glasses,
: through which one gazes at the won
ders Of seattle in the West Indian
? Islands. Behind him sat a young man,
? who may have been working. bu,
. who's eyes looked out at the stree,
. without seeing anything.
e The tailor craned his head out OF
;: his door
That the way they sit. now ne
=. called. softly.