The Monte Vista journal., 1914-04-18

/ close with 31,242 Then Sam made
spurt. and at the end Of the second
week had gone up about $50 ahead Of
Abe. BY the middle OF the third week
It was a neck and neck race. along In
the two thousands. and Abe and Sam
had got SO that they wouldn't speak to
each other when they met.
"As for Miss Mabel, she Just sat
there behind the counter. when she
wasn't busy getting down things.
which wasn't often and smiled on all
the boys impartial like.
we had a sweepstakes on the re-
suit. as we'll as little money out. and
the general opinion was that, although
Abe had little more money than
Sam, Sam would win out by logged
ness. Try as hard as he would. Abe
couldn't get away from Sam. BY the
end Of the third week they were run
ming neck and neck. Abe with 100000
and Sam with $2,999.75. And when
the end Of the fourth week come, and
it was within couple Of hours OF
closing time, Abe was 34.S17.09 and
Sam was $4S14 even.
They stood glaring at each other in
side Cy's store. which had been pretty
well divested Of everything. The
shelves was bare, and the show
cases WAS empty. and they was
looking around to see what could be
had
"I'll take that boiler!' shouts Sam,
pointing to an old. rusted-out boiler
in a corner. which nobody had thought
Of buying. How much, Cy?'
Fifty dollars says Cy, and away
goes Sam ahead Of Abe. Abe looks
round with worse glare than ever
in his eye.
"Ill take the f1ttings!' he yells,
triumphant like. How much for the
shelves and show cases. Cy'
1.-Two hundred and fifty, answers
Cy. coolly, and Abe gets the lead once
more, and then there didn't seem to be
anything left to be bought. Abe sits
down and pulls out a fifty-cent cigar.
and leers at Miss Mabel as though he
owned her.
The boys had been 80 interested
that nobody had thought to go down
to the coach Office, but just then a
stranger, who had come in on the
stage, strolls into the store. He was
sort of dude, built like Samson. six
feet five. or thereabouts in height and
with muscles like three trunks run
ming all over him.
"Can you oblige me with package
Of cigarettes? he asks of Cy, mild.
like; and all the boys grins. The Gig
arettes had gone in the first week.
when the offers were low.
Sorry I'm out Of cigarettes just
now.' Cy answers, winking at US.
Dear met says the stranger. How
unfortunate! Haven't you got any
thing to sell at all?'
"I'm closing up for good Cy an
swers. 'Tonight's the last. sell out
and get out
well l guess I'll take the store,
them answers the stranger. How
much?'
Ten thousand answers Cy, and
the fellow pulls out wad and filings II
down.
There was a silence for about two
minutes, and then something hit the
floor. 1t was Abe's cigar. and, what's
strange, he never picked 1t up again
That's all, mister. The stranger
takes Miss Mabel by the arm and
leads her to the coach Office. and some
how nobody didn't feel like doing any
thing about 1t. l heard. though, that
Miss Mabel had left a husband back
east, and that Cy Holmes was a sort
OF connection OF his. But you hear
such lies nowadays you never know
what to believe. However when Sam
and Abe gets their new stock In next
week guess things will be booming
some"
Copyright. 1918, by w. q. Chapman.)