The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-04
EDening Story
Bigger Business.
BY WILL 7. AMES

(
Not directly, of course, but because
the glass in the show windows was
set at such an angle that the young
man in 116 was mirrored within the
line of vision of the young woman in
11S.
"Beast!' exclaimed the young wo-
man in 11S 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
cigaret, 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 a thund ering
golly, nobody but her had any right
to lose their money in a fool business
like thisi' 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, Cents"-which, with signifi-
cant undermining of the word real
hung in the window next door.
''Here!" exploded the young man in
ZIG; this has gone on long enough.
Right now comes the showdown"
And leaving his establishment to the
quiet sufficient administration Of the
red-headed girl just then busi1y 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 neighbors 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 11S was extra
ordinarily pretty as we'll as being a
bitter business rival.
Miss Matilda Ives, now standing in
discontented contemplation of her i'm
maculate tables and chairs, turned at
the sound of the doors opening, and
an inch was added to her height and
world of chilly inquiry to her ex-
preston as she answered his "Ahem
good morning" with a lofty, What
can do for your
You can buy me .out-that's what
you can do" said Willis Masters
Look here, Miss Ives" he continued,
you know there isn't chance in the
world for two places like ours in this
little town, let alone next door to each
other-and the way we've been slash
ing prices leads to the bankruptcy
court-to say nothing of selling stuff
so cheap that the people are scared to
buy it and everybody but the kids is
going to the Greks. You butted in
here after 1 got tied up with a lease
and spoiled my opportunity to build
up a business. Now I'll give you a
and you can have it for so per cent
Of inventory. That's pretty big dis
counting on four months old stuff"
The naughty Miss Ives listened to
this hastily formulated proposition
without aoating one jot or title of her
aiT- of int iHcf n
denly. AMI without the least suspect
ing that she was going to do it, she
pumped down into one of her infre-
quently used chairs and began to cry.
IT never heard any one say such a
thing in my life" she gurgled between
sobs. II butt in! Why, the very
ideal When you know very well
had this store leased before you ever
thought of such a thing as starting
here. And I put every cent I had in
the world into it, tool You know per-
fectly well 1 can't buy you out. You
know I've got to sell, and you are just
making a cheap price so you can get
the place for half what it's worth.
All right, I'll take it. I'd have taken
less lust to get away from alongside
you" The girl punched her eyes with
her wadded handkerchief as vigor-
ously as if they had been the eyes of
Willis Masters.
You don't mean to say you didn't
Know L QaQ store leased
"You~didn't. Old Mr.. WeStover told
me himself that an optician from Mas
sachusetts was considering 1t"
Gee whiz! and he told me he had
rented your store to a New York
woman for a blouse shop! Whenever
did you get your lease?"
March IA, at 1890" Thru tears
Miss Ives couldn't help noticing how
ingenuously boyish her rival looked.
You win! I signed mine at II,
same day. The old crook"
Couldn't we sue him or some
thing?"
mot a chance-he's too slick. But
say, you'd better buy; I'll call it so
per cant. Haven't you got some rich
relative? You kind of-well, look as
if you had a lot of them. And with
both these shops you could make the
place the swell hangout of the berg.
Miss Ives shook her head despair
ingly. Really, she was thinking. this
hated rival was-well, almost nice.
What she said was, Not relative
She left me S7,000-with string in
it. I refuse to touch the string. But
I'll SELL told you so before"
Masters laughed hollowly. me buy?
Great Scott l couldn't raise another
nickel if ice cream sodas were going
possible dollar into this place-do you
know why?' he inquired Unexpectedly.
Miss Ives looked interested. Because
a girl swore she wouldn't marry any
body but a business mani" Miss Ives's
interest suddenly diminished. And
now-what do you think?' demanded
Willis. "She says I've proved I'll new
er make business man-and is going
to marry some one else, just because
I'm coming a cropper." Miss Ives
interest revived.
How perfectly horridl'' she said.
well, thought it was pretty rotten
myself. But don't know that I mind
/ so very much after ALL" Willis was
stealing a long look at Matilda's be-
witching profile.
The conversation begged down at
| this point into a half minute of 81
| 1ence.
! An idea smote Willis so hard that
| he jumped. Say" he exclaimed" il
we can't buy one another out--do you