Lower coast gazette., 1913-11-01

ings for ladies' shoes" said Tom IN
dignantly. "But you don't want
them, of course. I'll just tell you
the other thing | came in for. Pat
Maloney, who used to be your port
er, asked me to call in and give you
his respects"
"Pat Maloney!' cried the ogre.
HE did! Pat did? Did he tell you
how he left me? He didn't, eh? Well,
| will. He got ~displeased at my
ways, the villain, and he abused me
to my face, and left madden than a
halter. And he had the impudence
to send me his respects!" Mr.. Hard
eyman snorted.
So did Tom, and faced the ogre
boldly. "Pat said you had an infer
nal temper, or a bad way Of talking,
or something Of the kind, I forget
exactly his words. But he said you
had the right stuff in you, for all
that. Maybe you have-you keep it
mighty we'll concealed though" con.
cluded Tom, trying to pack up.
"HoId on!' roared the ogre. "Pat
said that! Well, there was a decent
streak in Pat-tell him | said SO. Let
me see that Paris tomfoolery again.
What? The latest thing? But
suppose now everybody in the shoe
bushes vii have to go to the expense
Of taking it up simply because it's
from Parish He inspected the silk
lining carefully, and changed his
tone. It might not be such an afro
ciously bad idea, after all. but
what's the stuff's price? Of course
it's a sheer robbery"
The price! Oh, why had Tom not
found out before he left Boston? But
! it was no time for hesitation now.
The prospect of business had cleared
!, away Toms anger in an instant.
"Good canvas was thirty cents he
thought. "Silk would be worth at
! least two and a half times that. Now
I'll add twenty-five cents for the
novelty and throw in about-er
seven cents for good measure
swell, well, well, what is it? !
see you haven't the prices marked on
the samples; careless, unbusinesslike
- methodist"
tits WORTH replied Tom, al
though still loath to commit himself
. for fear his rapidly calculated price
might cost him his customer, "yes,
sir, l can put that in at"
2 81 ~ What? What? At WHAT
responded Tom, feeling easier, al
though with a miseiving Of con-
science.
, The ogre threw up his hands.
What a gouge! What does your
house think we are made Of down
here-money? Nothing but money!
: 0 Watkins!n
- "Sir?" replied the quizzical clerk,
entering the roc so quickly that he
= must have been standing just out
!" side the door.
- "What do you think, Watkins, Of
= this youngster here pricing this silk
lining to me at one dollar and seven
y cents?"
"Why, it's highway robbery, sir
i highway robery!" answered Watkins,
hardly glancing at the silk, and fix
- ing a severe look on Tom.
y There, | knew it! Thatll dol"
of and Watkins as quickly retired.
Sand so Pat sent me his respects
Well! we'll! And the old chap is
= porter in Scots house, eh?" said the
ogre, with an amused chuckle. And
so you had the stuff in you to deliver
an old lrishman's message. And
. you've got a good thing in that Paris
=, lining, or | don't know beans. Well,
: then, here, boy,"-the ogre rapidly
:, picked up the samples one after an.
other-"give me one hundred and
fifty yards of that - one hundred
en yards Of that if your house is ask
ing too much for this seventy
NC five yards Of that-IM make it warm
for them-two hundred yards of that
T. one hundred of that and that =
you've got nerve, boy one hun
= dred and fifty Of that Paris stuff at
one dollar and seven cents-seventy-
- i've Of that-how old are you, any
way?-and fifty Of each of these
four others
&c All this time Tom had been strug-
Cling to get his new order-book open
10 so he could write in it. He had
hardly jotted down the first few or
ders before the ogre had finished,
r. snatched up the sample-case, bundled
the samples into it, closed it, thrust
y it into Toms hands, caught him by
ii the shoulder, and giving him a rough
h push toward the door, snapped:
70 Nov get out Of here; / am busy
Tell Pat about seeing me. That's
ALI"
But" protested Tom, I'm not
- quite"
" The ogre had taken his seat and
!, begun writing. That settled t.. rath-