The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1914-10-16

eagerly.
81 do not know that, either" re-
sponded Beau-Jean.
|
Next morning the eight set out to-
gether for the city. Whatever strange
undertaking Pedro was considering,
they would all go along and assist If
possible. And so, without any idea
save that of action, they set forth, de-
termined though indefinite.
| The coppers of, yesterday were all
I expended for breakfast, and the first
step toward the beginning of a day
being accomplished, they betook them
selves to the railroad track and walked
beside it But noon came and passed,
and still no granite towers loomed be-
fore their expectant eyes. Finally, to
rest themselves, they turned from the
| wearying, shining vista Of rails, and
seated themselves upon the dead grass
beside the mile post that bore the dis
couraging legend:
N. Y. Is M.-Harrison M.
| By this time all were tired and hun
cry. Worse yet, the bears were hun
gry-a condition to be reckoned with
before the need of the masters.
Let us co." suggested Pedro, into
the town which this dusty road leads
to, and dance the bears, pass the hat,
and eat, eh?"
The suggestion needed no second
ing. With groans and complaints they
| got to their feet again, and set off for
the village.
| But fate was not smiling upon them
| Just then. The town was almost de-
serted at this hour. Besides which,
near the end Of the performance, Toto,
who was supposed to "sing," raised his
voice from his usual growing mono
tone to hungry growl. That sent the
watchers running off in all directions.
Ruefully Old Nita counted the earn
ings.
"Only seven pennies in ALL" she
complained. Better to have rested
beside the railroad"
cit is not enough to feed one bear,
even," remarked Beau-Jean, "and am
| as hungry as Two.
| Meanwhile Pedro was talking to
himself. You got them into this;
otherwise they would have travelled
the regular way. Now you get them
out" Then Pedro noticed a dingy
lunch wagon by the broken curb,
some fifty feet away. At the entrance
to it stood fat man with a dismal,
fiabby face. His hands were tucked
beneath an apron whose immaculate
| Whiteness shone out conspicuOusly
among the gray surroundings. The
man was motionless, as though he had
become petrified while waiting for GUS
toners who never came.
"Ah!" said Pedro aloud, 81 have an
idea! Stay where you are, all of you,
until l beckon."
Then, thrusting his hands into his
pockets, he strOlled nonchalantly away
in the direction of the lunch wagon.
1t was a dingy affair, as has been
said, and upon it's tawdry sides the
lettering had grown dim. Still, it was
easy enough to make out the inscrip-
ton:
| The Elite
Pies, Coffee, Milk, Frankfurters
Over the doorway was an invitation
to walk in," and underneath this the
owners name-"Isaac Lovejoy, Prop"
had been printed small. Pedro
sided up to the individual who, it
would seem, bore this name and title.
Business thriving bout here?"
asked Pedro conversationally, by way
of an opening.
The man gave him glance. but
without moving to do so.
"Nope!" he replied.
What! In place where travellers
must pass so often?" Pedro exclaimed.
lifting his eyebrows.
"Yep!" said the man, still motion
less.
What is the trouble? Are there
no travelers?"
"Travelers, all right" said the fat
man. "but no customers! No one stops
here!"
"What's the trouble, do you think?"
Pedro inquired.
"The lunch-wagon trust!" exclaimed
the man. I'm an independent, am;
but everywhere l go where there
might be good business doin'-say a
corner near factory, or any such
real wide-awake place-one of them
trust wagons is there before me, ali
shined up arr covered with gold paint
| oil fa1lnW 1ika m
amt got no show
"Why don't you spruce up little,
then, eh?" asked Pedro.
"Why don't you buy somethin' SOS
I'll get the money for to buy the gold
paint with?" retorted the other.
Because I have no money" Pedro
replied.
Same reason here, in answer to
your first" cried the fat man trium-
phantly.
"Supposing, now," said Pedro, that
could put you on the right track
to competing with those trusts, eh?"
What dyer mean?" demanded the
man.
Those wagons of the trust-they
are all alike?"
Yes" said Mr.. Lovejoy, "all the
same; and very slick and fancy"
Aha! Then what you want is
something entirely different from
them; something to make people mo-
tice you"
Sure, but What?"
That" replied Pedro, sis just what
l can tell you. 1 have proposition to
make"
The man scowled at him for mo-
ment, as though wondering at the i'm
prudence of this whippersnapper's Of
fering to deal with him. Then Pedro
! looked at him, and smiled one of those
vivid, startling smiles that were Pc