The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-07-27
ABOUT The AGENT
Mistaken for Preacher-Then
for 'EBOOtlegger."
Picture Man and Small Boy
Who Suffered.
CANVASSING DEAF OLD LADY
''Wished" Picture of Her Little
Curly-Haired Boy.
Young Wife and Old Husband
on Lonely Farm.
CANVASSING DEAF OLD LADY

I'm a general way, I spoke last
week of experience selling enlarged
pictures, as an excuse for treating an
agent courteOusly, said the former
enlarged picture agent this afternoon.
IF [ should tell any more, I must say
that several incidents of our trip
through Kansas stand out most prom
inently.
Appearances Deceiving.
"At the little town of Havensville,
north of Topeka, [ was treated excep
tionally we'll, asked in as soon as I
appeared at the door and all the
women were inclined to make a fuss
or er me before had a chance to tell
them my business, although being of
Gothic facial architecture 1 am more
useful than ornamental
81 learned that the new preacher
was expected in the town that week
and he had been described to the ex-
pectant women as being about my size.
was mistaken for the minister at
first sight.
In the little town of Wheaton. not
far west of Havensville, I was given
a glad reception by several of the
young men of the place. And L learned
that they thought I was a bootlegger
who was expected.
LAS to wonderful sights in Kansas
Severy. 1 met man who was so fat
that he could scarcely sit in an or
binary buggy seat.
A Difference of Opinion.
Near Howard a small boy came
to the door of the farm house when
I knocked.
"'Are your folks at homer I asked
"'N-n-n-n-n-n-no-s he
suffered, 'b-b-but, if y-y-y-you want
e-e-anything I'll d-d-d-do I th-think'
I didn't think so and left.
Near Howard, or some nearby
town 1 canvassed a Quaker settlement
and saw the plain meeting house
They were a gentle refined folk, and
I never met with nicer treatment
However, 1 would not have known
that they were Quakers from their
dress or talk, as only the real old
people of them used the thee and
thou
She Was a fIeetIe'' Deaf,
eff remember correctly, it was at
Howard that another amusing Incl
dent occurred. When working one of
the streets one day toward evening
just at the time when small town peo-
pie come out on the front porch-a
woman suggested that 1 talk to her
neighbor across the street. 1 did So
Meanwhile the entire neighborhood as
sembled on the front porches
made my regular spell to the victim
the woman selected, but she didn't
reply until I had talked about fifteen
minutes, each moment unconsciously
talking louder. Then the nice old
lady, for such she was, calmly pro-
duced an old fashioned ear trumpet
and said:
II don't know what you want.
viii you please to talk louder? I'm a
leetle bit deaf
AS 1 said, she was a nice, refined
old lady, so not minding the irritating
filters from scores of people, 1 talked
to her again, louder than ever. Final
ly 1 made her understand. Partly be-
cause she knew how 1 felt at the
trick played on myself and upon her,
she gave me an order, taking care thar
the neighbors might hear her say:
Come in, dear; 1 think 1 have
picture 1 wish you would have enIarg-
ed for me-
Little Lad Who Was Gone.
81 went in. The room was like it
might be pictured in an old fashioned
engraving, and the old lady fitted IN
perfectly with the environment She
gave me a picture of a curly haired
boy of 5 or g..
"'You may have this one, but
would like the small one back she
said gently.
THAT was all, but something in ner
voice and look told me that the curly
haired boy was no more.
Near Sedan 1 met with a great
surprise. One day for dinner we stop
ped at a farm house at the top of a
TOCk SlT0Wn u1lk-dn OUT Oh the way
place in a thinly settled neighborhood..
A young woman, pleasant, intelligent
and from her talk well travelled, got
dinner.
But He Was Not Her Father.
''She could not have been over %,
was exceptionally pretty and bright.
She said that she had brothers in the
picture business and confided that she
was French
1.-The only man about the place was
an old soldier with snow white hair,