The Washburn leader., 1913-11-21
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1913. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

now utterly impossible"
l then changed the plan and saw
the shoestring man first. You, who
know him only by sight. may take
him for humble and docile citizen.
having neither spirit, pride nor am
bition. But such is far from being
the case. ~
"Yes, sir: it is true,'' he replied
when l told him l had heard Of the
rupture. "For seven long years have
been the warm friend of the peanut
woman. but now all is over between
us. shall always respect her as
lady. but we can never be friends
again. The relations between us are
not strained. but entirely severed"
"But what caused the ruptureY'
"Well. can't just say. though it's
perhaps owing to Ribs. the umbrella
man. more than anything else. There
is man. sir you would do well to
look out for. don't say that he can't
mend a broken umbrella as good as
the next. or that he would overcharge
you. but socially he's full of under
handed ways
"Why. thought Ribs such nice
man that treated him to a milk shake
down in Chambers street yesterday"
Look out for him, sir. am sure he
made all the trouble between me and
the peanut woman"
Nov. honest Injun. were you and
the peanut woman a little sweet on
each other before Ribs came into the
field to make trouble?'
you may call it that. sir. l called
her Annie and she called me Charlie.
and expect she was bit lonesome If
didn't show up three or four times q
day. 1t was me who wheeled her cart
across Broadway twice day for her:
l.watched the papers to see If peanuts
went up or down; turned the roaster-
for her when my own trade was slack.
and for the last five years her shoe
strings have not cost her penny.
understand that she came out with
button shoes yesterday to show that
she could get along without me-:
"How long ago did Ribs come into
the AFFAIR.""
about three months. sir. 1t wasn't
a week after he put in three ribs in an
umbrella for her without charging
cent that began to observe change
in her. She no longer called me Char
lie; she looked at me coldly. Indeed.
sir. 1t struck me at once that she pre-
ferred an umbrella man."
"And has no one else appeared in the |
casey'
"Well. there was Glass-to-P Putin.
who hung about for awhile, but he's
a harmless old chap. don't think he'd
speak i'll of any one, though he might
have put in word for Ribs, hoping
to be invited to the wedding"
"And have you asked for an ex-
mot me, sir. stand on my dignity.
If the peanut woman prefers Ribs to
me I'm not the. man to fall down on
my knees and ask for particulars. I'D
see her drowned first. If she didn't
plan to bring about this very state of
affairs why don't she send word to me
to come down and have talk and
when I'm there why don't she say:
"'Charlie. was just flirting a bit
with old Ribs to make you jealous and
see If you cared for me. Come back
and turn the peanut roaster, and be as
you was in the past. l wouldn't give
one shoestring man for dozen, um-
brella menders.'"
well. it is u sad case. and want to !,
see it Strengthened out. I'm going down
to have talk with her and find out
the true state of affairs"
II wish you would. sir. 10 say |
nothing of our private feelings. it
really interrupts business on Broadway
and is against public interest. Go down
and have a talk, sir. and don't be
afraid to come and tell me the worst.
went down to see the peanut wo-
man and began by asking:
Have you Il hearth
..Yes, and, the shoestring man has a
wink" she replied with toss of her |
head. j
Just what do you mean?"
"Oh. you've coIne about the quarrel
and 4 want to tell you that l didn't |
start it. Five minutes after Charlie
had told me the other day that ! had
the incest hgure Of any woman walk
ing Broadway ] caught him winklng
at janitress.' 2 IL;
"And are you pnnishing him for it?''
THAT'S ~ It. sir. Do you think he's
suffering" 2" VIII
si3tt Z
thinking Of suicide =
.Ehs Um! I mustn't be too cruel.
II you are going Up that way yon
might hint that n lne ana / .ate our
luncheon together
hinted. and an happy q say that
the turtledoves arc roostinx on the
same branch again. ard that business
op Broadway has resumed it, normal
swing.
~