The Morgan County press. (Wartburg, Tenn.) 1916-1926, 1921-12-02
The Bigger
Business
By WILL T. AMEs.

uOOT vi Ito COuiu 6OS 4uA.S
look at whoever might happen to be
standing just inside the door OF ITO.
Not directly, Of course, but because
the glass in the show windows was set
al such an angle that the young man
in 116 was mirrored within the line
of vision of the young woman In 1lo.
BEAST exclaimed the young Wom-
an In 118 to an audience consisting OF
herself alone; for Stanley Botash, the
sturdy boy who wrestled the ice cream
tubs and soda containers, was down
in the basement, smoking a cigarette,
and he was now her sole remaining
retainer.
GOSH" calculated the young man
In 116. I'm sick of having that
that skirt rubbering in here, and then
tossing her head like laundering
queen or something! You'd think, by
golly, nobody but her had any right t"
lose their money in a fool business IKE
this!' He glared at the backs OF the
suicidal price marks on the glass
trays and nougats and bonbons in his
own show window and at a daintily
lettered placard = "Real Ice Cream
Soda, 8 Cents"-which, with signih-
cant undermining of the word real"
hung in the window next door.
"Here!' exploded the young man In
116 "this has gone on long enough.
Right now comes the show down =
And leaving his establishment to the
quite sufficient administration OF the
red-headed girl just then busily adj
miring the expanse of her henna ear
puffs in the back-counter mirror, he
proceeded to violent action.
The violence, however, expended
most of itself upon the vicious jerk
with which he opened his own shop
door. BY the time he had taken the
two steps that brought his hand to the
knob of his neighbours door his man.
ner was quite formally correct. And
by the time he got himself inside he
was well-nigh deferential. For after
all he was still less than thirty-and
the young woman In 118 was extraor-
dinarily pretty as well as being hit
ter business rival.
Miss Matilda Ives, now standing In
discontented contemplation of her i'm
maculate tables and chairs, turned nj
the sound Of the doors opening, and
an inch was added to her height and
a. world of chilly inquiry to her ex-
preston as she answered his "Ahem-
good morning." with a lofty, what
can l do for your
"You can buy me out-that's Wha'
you can do" said Willis Masters
'Look here, Miss IVES" he continued
ssvou know there isn't chance in the
world for two places like ours in this
little town, let alone next door to eacf
other-and the way we've been SLASH
ing prices leads to the bankruptc!
court-to say nothing of selling stuff
so cheap that the people are scared t.
buy it, and everybody but the kids Il
going to the Greeks. You butted II
here after got tied up with a leas
and spoiled my opportunity to bulk
I'D a business. Now, I'll give you
chance-take the shop off my hand
and YOU can have it for go per cen
of inventory. That's pretty big dis
counting on four-month-ol stuff"
The naughty Miss Ives listened t
this hastily formulated propositio
without abating one jot or title OF he
air of icy majesty. Then very sue
denly, and without the least suspec
ing that she was going to do 1t, sh
pumped down into one Of her infr'
quently used chairs and began to or!
II never heard any one say such
thing In my life," she gurgled betwee
sobs. l butt in! Why, the yer
idea! When you know very well
had this store leased before you eve
thought of such thing or starte
here. And I-put every cent / had
the world into it, too! You know pc
fectly we'll / can't buy you out. 70
know I've got to sell, and you are jul
making a cheap price so you can g
the place for half what it's wort
All right, I'll take it. I'd have take
less Just to get away from alongsid
you" The girl punched her eyes wit
her wadded handkerchief as vigo
ously as If they had been the eyes
Willis Masters.
"You mean to say you didn't kno
I had my store leased?"
"You didn't. Old Mr.. Westover to
me himself that an optician from Ma
sachusetts was considering it.
"Gee whiz and he told me he hs
rented your store to a New Yol
woman for blouse shop! Whenev'
did you get your lease|
"Mareh IA, at 10:30." Through tea
Miss Ives couldn't help noticing no