Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1922-01-27

"Adelbert," croOned Mr.. McGuffey,
"aln't you got no heart? You know
| got a half interest In the Victor"
"O-oO-oh!" Captain Scraggs groaned,
and his groan was that of a seaslck
passenger. When he could look up
again his face was CHASTITY with mis-
cry.
Glib" he pleaded sadly, "you got
us where the hair Is short. Don't In
woke the lay an make US handle that
Goldfish, Glib! 1t amt right. Gimme
leave to tow that barge-anything to
keep your freight off the Victor, an
Wen pull it up river for you"
"Be a good Teller, Glib. You usen'ter
he hard an spiteful like that" urged
McGuffey.
"Tll tow the barge Free" walled
Scraggs.
Mr.. Glbney sat calmly down on the
stringer and lit a cigar. Nature had
blessed him with a strong constitu-
ton amidships and the c~ontiguity of
his tainted fortune bothered him but
little. He squinted over the tip of the
cigar at Captain Scraggs.
you're just the same old Scraggsy
you vas in the green-pea trade. All
you need is a ring in yer nose,
Scraggsy, to make you a human hog.
Here you goes to work an soaks me
a dollar a ton when you'd be tickled
to death to do the job for half O. that,
an then you got the gall to stand
there appealin' to my friendship! SO
you'll tow the barge up free, Ell? Well,
just to make the transaction legal, I'll
give you a dollar for the job an let
you have the barge. Skip to it,
Scraggsy, an draw up a new bill,
gu%aranteein' to tow the barge for one
dollar. Then gimme back $4,000 an
I'll hand you back this receipted
freight bill"
Captain Scraggs darted into his cab
in, dashed off the necessary document,
and returning to the deck, presented
it, together with the requisite refund,
to Mr.. Gibney, who, in the meantime,
had come aboard.
"Whatever are you a-goin' to do
with this awful Goldfish, Glib" he de-
handed.
Mr.. Gibney cooked his hat over one
ear and blew a cloud of smoke in the
shippers face.
"Well, boys, I'll tell you. Sailed
Goldfish that's been under water a long
time gets most O. the salt took out Of
It, an eve at sea, II It's left long
enough, it'll get so darned ripe that
it's what you might call offensive. But
it makes good fertilizer. There amt
nothin' In the world to equal Goldfish,
medium ripe, for fertilizer. I've rugged
up a deal with a orchard comp'ny
that's layin' out a couple O. thousand
acres O young trees up in the delta
lands O. the Sacramento. I've sold 'em
the lot, after first buyin' it from the
Wv " tilC SNItbOllVl " Il IulltIlCu
dollars. Every time these orchard fell
lers dig a hole tO'plant a young fruit
tree they aim to heave a Goldfish in the
bottom O. the hole first, for fertilizer.
There was upward O. two hundred
thousand Goldfish in that schooner an
I've sold EN- for five cents each, de-
livered at Dunnigan's landin'. / fig
ger on cleanin' up about seven thou
sand net on the deal. l thought me an
Neils was stuck at first, but l got my
imagination workn'-"
Captain Scraggs sank Imply into
McGuffey's arms and the two stared
at the doughty commodore.
"Hit In the face with a fortune an
didn't know it," gasped poor McGuffey.
Glib, I'm sure glad you got out whole
on that deal"
"Thanks to a lack O. Imagination In
you an Scraggsy I'm about two hun
dred an fifty dollars ahead O. my
estimate now, IN account o. the free
tow o that barge. Me an Neils GER
tainly makes Il nice little split on
account o this here Goldfish deal"
Glib chartered Scraggs, whats
the matter with reorganizin' the syn
d~icate?"
BE a good Teller, Adelbert,"
pleaded McGuffey.
Mr.. Gibney was V so vulnerable
as when one he really loved called
him by his Christian name. He drew
an arm across the shoulders of Nc
Guftey and Scraggs, while Neils Hal
vorsen stood by, his yellow fangs
flashing with pleasure under his wal
rus mustache.
~'Scraggsy! Mac! Your fms Wen
~reorganize the syndicate, an the min
ute me an Neils finds ourselves with
a bill o sale for a one-quarter inter
est in the Victor, based on the actual
cost price, We'll tow this here barge"
"An' split the profits on the cod
tiSh?' Scraggs queried eagerly.
Certainly not. Me an Neils splits
that tifty-tifty. A quarter O. them
profits is too high a price to pay for
your friendship, Scraggsy, old deceit
full. Remember, | made that profit
after you an Mac had pulled our O.
the syndicate"
That's logic" McGuffey declared.
ITS highway robbery" ScragGs
snarled. II won't sell no quarter in
terest to you or The SQuarehead, Glib.