Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1925-08-08
Grandma Obeyed
Orders
Bv JACK WOODFORD

Ger was so fond or Grandlilothei
Plumb. Surely there was no logical
accounting for it. Grandmother
Plumb's cottage was in the center OF
row of latterday, tumbledown
shacks. Well, Abe Mincer owned the
shack next door, and Abe Mincer was
the junk man.
When Grandma Plumbs grandson.
Harvey, had come home from Chi
cago-to die of consumption-Abe
Mincer had surreptitiously gone to
Edlinger's drug store at the corner
and placed a cash deposit to cover
any medicines Grandmother Plumb
might need.
For why?" he had said, blinkingly.
when questioned upon the subject by
the irreverent and totally misunder-
standing drug clerk. "For why do do
it-vell, how do / know? I gotta!"
Grandmother Plumb had gotten her
self in pretty deep with the under
taker, and the florist; and even owed
the minister for his part In the
funeral.
The grandson's last act had been to
obtain-no one ever knew hOW-a bat
tered old touring car which he had
suddenly appeared in town with one
day, after several days absence.
His passing left Grandmother
Plumb in sole and undisputed posses
sion Of the junk car. One morning,
as Abe was hitching up his mournful
horse to his creaky wagon, Grand
mother Plumb's head appeared over
the fence.
Good morning, Abe" said Grandma
Plumb, respondent in nice lace cap.
'You are business man, Mr.. Mincer,"
went on Grandmother Plumb briskly.
ut is on a business proposition that
want to speak to you"
"Vell, mum, if der is anything what
I kin do"
Owe decided to dispose Of Harvey's
car" confided Grandmother Plumb.
"Vell. Missus Plumb, l tink kin gif
YOU"
you'll not give me cent?" inter-
rupted the little old lady. you'd be
sure to give me more than it is worth.
you rogue; I'm going to sell it to
strangers. You see, I owe you about
fifty dollars, and the florist about
twenty-five; the undertaker's bill was
two hundred, the doctors a hundred,
and other items will come to two or
three hundred all together; do you
think" Abe eyed the old lady sadly
for long time. His minds eye erased
the barn wall directly before him, on
Grandmother Plumb's property, and he
saw the battered old 1918 model. 1t
would be miracle if she got fifty dol
lars for it. For long time Abe stood
cycling the lady before him reflectively.
"Vell, I tell you, Missus Plumb; you
do zhust what say, and I'll positively
guarantee that you get for your egszel-
lent car at least vun tousand dollars.
will take care Of the advertising ;
you will take care Of the selling. Ven
people come aroundt to look at the
car you zhust tell them that they can
look at it but they must not touch it
you understand? And don't sell 1t
for vun dime less than vun tousand."
II certainly shall, Mr.. Mincer;
have always admired your business
acumen."
Remember" cautioned Abe, turning
his head and stopping in his tracks as
he ambled back toward the wagon.
"And, by the way, Missus Plumb, isn't
there a white border painted aroundt
the mud guards?"
eyes, there is fine, white line
painted around the edges of the mud
guards"
"Egzactly, Missus Plumb-Wednes-
day you will half peoble after the car
but don't let dem touch it-you un-
derstandt?" Grandmother Plumb nod
ed and Abe drove off toward the bust
ness section Of the city.
The morning Of the second day
after this incident, Grandmother
Plumb was besieged with several
men whom she knew by sight as liv-
ing around town all their lives. They
wanted to buy the car, and there was
no difficulty in keeping them from
touching it; they didn't even want to
look at it; their only anxiety was to
get Grandmother Plumb to take their
money and deliver up the car. They
bid against each other Historically
and grandmother finally sold it to one
Of them for fifteen hundred dollars
because he had the cash with him.
That evening, when Abe drove home,
he came over to the fence and called
to Grandmother Plumb.
"Vell, Missus Plumb, did you sell
the carr"
Eyes, thank you," replied grand
mother, from her kitchen window, 81
got very fair price for it, thanks to
you" Abe AIincer smiled inwardly,
and outwardly, and kept smiling and
mumbling to himself and glancing at
grandmother's windows as he I'M
hitched his horse. When he went into
his house he took from beneath his
coat copy Of paper issued in a
nearby town; a paper which, he knew,
circulated among the sporting element
in the town. the very ones with whom