Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-12-28
THE AMERIcUs TIMES-RECORDER.

silks, one OF the clerks, REFER NlDurk
was free at last. At seven O'Clock
having put away the last rolls Of sill
on the shelves behind him, and covered
them with calico to keep OFF the dust
having, given a final glance Of disdair
at the clerk in the linens, across
having reached under the counter fol
his stiff black hat Of good quality and
his silver-topped cane; having donned
the hat and hung the stick to his arm
with two staggering gestures; having
prepared his offensive, so to speak, he
advanced.
Between Peter Niburg and Herman
Spier of the linens, was c feud. It's
source, in the person of a pretty
cashier, had gone, but the feud re
manned. 1t was Of the sort that smiles
with the lips and scowis with the eyes
that speaks pleasantly quite awful
things, although it was Peter Niburg
who did most of the talking.
And Herman hated Peter. The cash
Ter was gone, had married restaurant
keeper, and already she waxed fat
But HerDlan's hatred grew with the
days. And business being bad, mucf
Eof the time he stood behind his linens
and thought about a certain matter
which was this:
How did Peter Niburg do it?
They were paid the same scant
wage. Each Monday they stood to
;gether, Peter smiling and he frowning
and received into open palms exactly
enough to live on, without extras. And
each Monday Peter pocketed his cheer
fully, and went back to his post. twirl
ing his mustache as though all The
money Of the realm jingled In his
trousers.
To accept the inevitable, to smile
over ones poverty, that is one thing
But there was more to 1t. Peter made
his money go amazingly far. 1t was
Peter, for instance, who the summer
before, the American Scenic Railway
had opened to the public, with much
crossing of flags, the national emblem
and the stars and stripes, 1t was Petel
who had invited the lady to an eve
ming Of thrills on that same railway
at definite sum per thrill.
1t was Peter, then, who made tbs
impossible possible, who wore goot
clothes and did not have his boots
patched, who went, rumor said. to the
opera now and then, and followed the
score on his own battered copy.
: How?
Herman Spier had suspected him Of
many things; had secretly audited his
cash slips; had watched him for sur
reptftfOus parcels of silk. Once he had
thought he had him. But the package
of Lyons silk, opened by the pro
prietor at Herman's suggestion, proved
to be material for a fancy waistcoat
and paid for by Peter Niburg's own
hand.
! With what? Herman stood con.
fused, even confounded, but still
suspicious. And now, this very day
he had stumbled on something. A
great lady from the court had made q
purchase, and had left, under a roll
of silk, letter. There was no mis-
take. And Peter Niburg had put
away the silk, and pocketed the letter
after swift glance over the little
shop.
An intrigue, then, with Peter Niburg
as the go-between, or-something else
Something vastly more important, the
discovery of which would bring Her.
man prominence beyond his fellows In
a certain secret order to which he be-
longed.
! In way, he was stupid man, this
pale-eyed clerk who sold the quaint
red and yellow cottons Of the common
people side by side with the heavy