Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-09-28
CHAPTER xXv.-(Continued.)

miserable tnlnSS again, Sll ho Pio
tested, as he held up the discarded
suit and patched boots.
Bliss made little grimace at his
servant.
ss II don't like them any better thar
\ you do. Cloves" he confessed. "bu
they are the best l can afford. Il
only dared help myself to half 9
dozen of those shirts!" so
''Your own shirts, sir?" Cloves eX
claimed, bewildered. these are al
your own clothes"
Bliss sighed
He was fully dressed now.
Not mine, Cloves he replied
"They belong to that other fellow
CHAPTER XVI,
1890 a Filler In Leather.
Bliss sat on bench in the public
gardens of Bermondsey his hat on
the back of his head, the perspira
ton streaming down his face. On his
knees was cheap little bag If shiny
black leather, filled with imitation
leather heels, and containing an order
book, which he had not yet opened
In his pocket was the precise sum OF
three shillings and sevenpence half
penny. $500 i
So far, his second essay as COM
mercial traveller had not been dis
tinguished by any great success
A man who had been watching him
from the opposite side of the walk got
up and came over to his side.
you theem tired, mith-ter," he re-
marked.
Bliss glanced at the speaker. He
was dark, corpulent, and Semitic. he
had an amiable smile and an oily
voice. He was very dirty.
$50 would you be tired" Bliss re-
piled. 'if you had been trying to sell
Something nobody wants to buy"
The newcomer shook his head
IF you have anything cheap to
thell, my friend" he said, you can
alvayth thell it. ecthpect you want
too much money. Vat have you got
In that bag?"
Bliss opened it readily.
Heels! Do you want to buy any,?
The fat man looked at them in an
Interested manner.
"Now, that'th very queer!" he OBJ
served. II am in the boot trade. /
know all about heelth. Vat are your
pritheth, young man."
Bliss drew out list from his
pocket.
"Tm fed up with it," he sighed.
Every heel has gum lahel'on with
a number. Here's list of the num-
bers, with the price per pound attach
ed. Help yourself" az
- The fat man, with the llist in ore
hand and the heels in the other,
looked them through. Then he shook
his head.
every dear he pronounced.
"Elevenpenth pound. Very dear
i've heard that before" Bliss re.
marked. tits getting quite familiar"
do you know anything about thith
bithneth, young mani"
"Not a. - thing" Bliss replied,
feeling better for the expletiye.
'Then Wy did you take it up?''
.i"I sat next to the man | am trying
20 sell the beastly things for, In the
tram coming up from Camberwell,"
Bliss explained eve got talking and
i.stold him I was out of work. He
told me his name was Morgan and
that he was a manufacturer of leather
heels and offered me commission
on all that / could sell for him. Ac-
cording to him l had only to show
myself on a boot manufacturers
premises and he would throw his
arms around my neck and pray for
these heels. He gave me a list of
names. I have seen sixteen manufac-
turers this morning. Those who found
the heels the right shape found them
flfty per cent too dear. Those who
found them reasonable value told me
that the shape was hopelessly out of
date"
you'll never make a living at
thith, young man. he declared.
II know that" Bliss agreed. Eat
least have gathered as much this
morning"
"vat are you going to do about IT."
"Take the things back and get an
other job" was the somewhat mourn.
ful reply. ~ ~ a
The fat man moved along the seat
Q little nearer to Bliss.
Look here" he confded, "the
nan who maketh thethe heelth'th been
trying to take advantage of you. Now
I. tell you way you and can put our
headth together and pay him out, and
we make little for ourthelveth, too.
I've got thome old bill-hedth-J.
Marcuth, Leather Dealer l write
you an order for three hundredweight
Of thethe heelth.
"Your friend, Mither Morgan, he
won't thop to make any inquirith.
He'll be only too pleathed to thell the
heelth at hith own r&ilhe to any one.
He'll bundle them down. l shall be
out. The porter will have to call back
for the money. We will thell the
heelth. / know a man who will give
thixpenthe a pound for them-three-
penthe each, Ell? Then you hurry off
and try thome other way Of making a
living"
Bliss packed up the heels, closed
the bag with snap, and looked at his
companion.
Its quite a scheme he observed
Come along with me- the other
invited. land I'll get the bill head
and write the order"