The Washington herald., 1920-10-14
tCo.tinued from Yesterd.y1

w building had been secured
in the Gale Grande, and
Mr.. Hemstetter's stock of shoes
arranged upon their shelves. The
rent of the store was moderate;
and the stock made dne show
ing of neat white boxes. at
tractively displayed.
Johnny's friends stood by him
Loyalty. On the first day keogh
strolled into the store in casual
kind of way about once every
hour. and bought shoes. After he
soles, congress CATERS, button
kids, low-quartered caIfs, dane
ing pumps, rubber boots. tans OF
various hues, tennis shoes and
fowered slippers. he sought out
Johnny to be prompted as to
names of other kinds that he
might inquire for. The other
English-speaking residents also
played their parts nobly by buy
ing often and literally. keogh
was grand marshal. and made
them distribute their patronage,
thus keeping up fair run of Gus
tom for several days.
Mr.. Hemstetter was gratified by
the amount of business done thus
far; but expressed surprise that
the natives were so backward
with their custom.
"Oh, they're awfully shy" ex~
planned Johnny, as he wiped his
forehead nervously. They'll get
the habit pretty soon. They'll
come with rush when they do
come"
One afternoon Keogh dropped
into the consurs office, chewing
an unlighecd cigar thoughtfully.
Got anything up your sleeve%
he inquired of Johnny. III you
have it's about time to SHOW It.
If you can borrow some gents
hat in the audience, and make a
lot of customers for an idle stock
of shoes come out of 1t, you'd
better spiel. The boys have all
laid in enough footwear to last
'em ten years; and there's nothing
doing in the shoe store but dolcy
far nienty. 1 just came by there.
Your venerable victim was stand
ing in the door, gazing through
his specs at the bare toes passing
his emporium. The natives here
have got the true artistic tenn
permanent. Me and Clancy took
eighteen tintypes this morning in
two hours. There's been but
one pair OF shoes sold all day.
Blanchard went in and bought a
pair of fur-lined house slippers
because he thought he saw Miss
Hemstetter 30 into the Nore.
saw him throw the slippers into
the lagoon afterwards"
There's a Mobile fruit steamer
coming in tomorrow or next day"
said Johnny. We can't do any
thing until then"
What are you going to do
try to create a demand?"
Political economy isn't your
strong point" said the consul.
impudently. You can't create a
demand. But you can create a
necessity for a demand. That's
what l am going to do"
Two weeks after the consul sent
his cable, a fruit steamer brought
him a huge. mysterious brown
bale of some unknown commodity.
Johnny's influence with the Gus
tom-house people was Sufficiently
strong for him to get the goods
turned over to him without the
usual inspection. He had the bale
taken to the consulate and snugly
slowed in the back room.
That night he ripped open Z
corner of it and took out "a hand
full of the cockleburrs. He exam,
ined them with the care with
which warrior examines hi!
arms before he goes forth to bat
tie for his lady-love and life. Tht
burrs were the ripe August prod
uct, as hard as filberts, and bris
tling with spincs as tough ant
sharp as needles. Johnny whis
tied softly little tune, and wen
out to find Billy Keogh.
Later in the night. when Coralic
was stepped in slumber, he an'
Billy went forth into the deserted
streets with their coats bulgin:
like balloons. All up and dow
the Gale Grande they went SOW
ing the sharp burrs carefully il
the sand, along the narrow side
sl
tween the silent houses. And ther
they took the side streets and by
ways, missing none. No plac
where the foot of man, woman o
child might fall was slighted
Many trips they made to and from
the prIckly hoard. And then
nearly at the dawn, they lait
themselves down to rest calmly
as great generals do after plan
ming a victory according to tn
revised tactics. and slept. know
ing that they had sowed with tn
accuracy of Satan sowing tare
and the perseverance of Pau
planting.
With the rising sun came tn
purveyors of fruits and meats, an,
arranged theif wares in an
around the lhtle market-house
At one end OF the town near tn
seashore the market-house stood
and the sowing of the burrs ha
not been carried that far. TIL
dealers waited long past tn
hour when their sales usually be
gan. None came to buy. "Qu
hay" they began to exclaim, on
to another.
At their accustomed time, fror
every 'dobe and palm hut an
grass-thatched shack and dir
patio glide women-black womeI
brown 1emnp Cnlnre