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Show HOT MAIL AT HOSET RC.V. A TAU: OF GUTTER RfVAXRV IM THE IMST0FF1CE BOSTSESS. Apostotllcebail just been estab-Ililieil estab-Ililieil at Honey Ban, a community mainly poputaletl by tlie sons of the veterans of Africa, ami wsj placed In tlie keeping of Abraham Xick. a seller of csgi that hai attained their majority and bicon so musty that a hound pup bad ceeu known to turn from it. and Algh distnwlog-ly. distnwlog-ly. When Abraham revcived tho appointment thera vras great rejoicing rejoic-ing among his friends. He had been sentenced to the penitentiary, but tho fact tba; tho Governor pardoned par-doned him proved that he bat! attracted at-tracted the attention cf the Chief Executive and was thereford worthy of the respect of his evcry-day associates. as-sociates. Shortly after the first mail arrived, and while a number of negroes were etacdlog around, Iooklns hi admiration admira-tion at a teal circular, Bid Sawyer, a well-znonrn character and a man whose "crap" throning was marvellous, mar-vellous, came Into tbe store and, addressing ad-dressing tbo pcatmastcr, said: "Wall, I reckon you 'think de mantle o'oIeman'Li,gr dun drarped on you, eh?" "Xetermlue Tjoutdar. But I'll say dit: Kf de mantle b drjpped on mo I Liu war It tor de" queen's taic." Oh. I ain't srrlr.d t dat." Bid replied. "You Is so u3ter w'arln uder folks' clotbes dat mijhty nlsli anything will fifyou." 'I aiu't were npmia'you'clot'ucs. I'oe migbty iKirlivulaf whose clothes I w'ar." "Va, mighty particular not to w'ar yo'owu when you kin helji "Iook yere," ld Abraham bniablng the morning's "tnall" aside and leaning back against tbe counter, "did you come round yere ter pick crquarrcl wid me on dis de daj- o' my joymctit? Is dis de way you does when luyftlen'san' nvlgb- lors hut coru-5 In yere tor 'gratulate me? W'y, man, I'se slmos' tbrrateneil to le ersiiamedo' you." "Oh, no, Abe, I ain't come ter pick no quarrel wldyoujtbut I tell you whut I has come Urdu; I has come to tell you dnt Iegwiue etartcrtto' right rr cross de toad dar, ac rua'n dat, duwaginan' team is dun gonu after dt lumber ter build de houe wlJ." "Huh," Abraham grunted, "aa Is dat all you oome ter tell! W'y, uselen worryln' tinuon, you mcut er staid at home, an' font dat through de mail, er haw, liau !" "ilout er dono H, datt er fack, furl'romlahty bandy wld er pen; but d&t ain't all I got ter say. 1 kuows In revon Uat 1 kaln't buck er gin you when you isgoter ncsU ofllro to draw tradn" "Jfotyyotlhttlin' II," Abe brole in. 'I!ut hole on. Dun ark e de sheep dat jumped olj-r dc ihadtr au'tlcn butted iiU brains outer gin de fence. I knows dat I kaln't buck er gin dU lo-t-;Uict,?o I has 'eluded to start onemyrt-lf.-' "W'y, man, yea Lnlii'tdo da'. DdGuberment will bo down on vou in er mlnll. I)ir kiin't bu but one post-o ITlce In dc tame place, you know." "OU, I knows dat, but I've gwire tart er Irauch onicc Dar ainl nuthln' !u d Consteihttlon er gin branch edict?. ITo (Joutettutlon say ntlgbty p'lattally dat evtr' poet-onicu is 'titled ter er uranch an' dat de main nQIce has got ter divide de mall wld dc braiich, an' It furdir sta'tp, an' ''tales mighty p'lntedly, dat ef dcr mid ! it hs charge o' de main oQlco 'fucs to recognize de branch ofllce dat de ofllcc ehall b j luck ir way frum him an' put iu do ban's o' dc branch pcjtruatltr. Oh, jcro's de Conter-tution Conter-tution right here," he ad led. taking a book from Ids pocket and begin-nine begin-nine tu uuwlud a twine !rinr r!nnirt.rw.n jjuj- yore in my hau, an' ef you want ter show yo'Ignuute ter all dcrofolk?, w'v, u'l Wa-hington liltr-TToaii -v "7 tofacES." 'J ir "Uii, 1 knows de Constcr'ution eay dat," Abe replied, scratching uu head, -but dat Consterlution has dutrUen 'pealed. Gln'l Jack-on Jack-on ho come er long wld his Con-'tertulioii, Con-'tertulioii, tlcan youknotvt" "Xow look yere," Ilia replied, 'Is you 'termlced to show jo' ig-nunce, ig-nunce, whuiier ur no? I):nu ycu now dat Gin'i Jackson fetch up er till fur decbangln' o' do Conttcr-ttitiou, Conttcr-ttitiou, but dat de Senate reached Inwnau'llung it outen de house? W'y, Abe, I has alius gin you credit fur beln' er smart man, but da way you Is gn Ine on no w you Is 'irlziii me mlghfly." "Hoi' on ir mlnll." said Abe, rubbing the wcol on the top of his loaf-ehaped head, r dots rieolkk now. I has been l'arnln' so much lately dat I Jest nacbully hx-!er fur-iteonioo'it. fur-iteonioo'it. Llio jouriu' water in crquart cup, you know, Kf you keep on pourin'alttr dc cup-dun full some o' it boun' ter run1 ober." "Vas, dafs er fack. Xow, whut r want ter get at Is dis yen: Uif you will 'greu ter gin me half o' dis j era sto', I won't start de- one orces de road." "Xo, I kaln't do dat; it would luther enter Inter de comr ertitlon." "AH right. De wagln an' team will bo yere i utty soon an' den der compertltijn will begin fho null. But tay, you gwlne divide do mail wld me, ain't you?" "o, kaln't say dat I'll do daL" "All right, I'll Jest goer head wld the branch de best way I kin ' let you rrxk along vz you sets fltten." Uiu'a store was soon established. It was known that he was going to have a branch otlicc, but as the negroes neg-roes were In favor of the cfilce. that bad received the direct sanction of the government tho new store drew but a small percentage of trade. But Bid was not discouraged. His wits were not Idle. He went to a white uan that lived tome distance a .cay and employed him to write a number num-ber of letters and addrea tbenL to the most Influential negroes In the community. The next day, Jut after a few seed catalogues had boon received at tho main cfllec, Bid rnl totlledcororilWiFWfeand shouted: ' I , -Liu rrall fur de ere't branch ofllcc hcsjuitnrrlv. Is Dan Wor-thly Wor-thly In de crowd?" "Vere I Is," cried a huskv fellow, timidly moving forward with an expression of astonishment on his face. "All right, ycro's a letter fur yon. Is Al Soaper yere?" "lo de man." a squatty Guinea negro answen d. "Well, dar's er letter veto furyou In this oftlce." He continued to call off names until some ten or fifteen letters, had been dell vend. Of" course, the letters amounted to nothing, but that made no difference with their 1 recipients. All ttey wanted was I recognition from tbo outside world. Tbis piece of shrewdness changed tho current of trade. The negroes flocked Into Bid's store, and when Abe remonstrated with them tbe only satisfaction he received was that '1 cd la office had dono nothing noth-ing for tne people and that the hrauc.li ofllce, in consideration of Its enterprise, was entitled, to patronage. pat-ronage. " "Look yere, Bid, I.doan like de way things gwlne out" "."o, sab, I reckons noL Do fox, didn't like tie way things wuz gwlne on nutber, butde hounds kotchhlm all de same." "I doan kcow nuthln' bout dat, but I tell you what I dus know. I know dat dar hast er be er change yere migbty soon ur somebody gwine git hurt. I has been er foolln wld you an' Icsln' my trade long ernuffan' now dar's got. to J beer . change." - "AH right I'se pufuctly wHlin'. Dar neber wuz er man dat liked change better den I does.-- Wy; sab, ' I'aesofund o' change dat aotne, times when Its feelln' tight toed I . ', git tired o' It and hurts xnyefwld J suth In' Jest fur de change; Hcwl' youthinkln' bout bringln' er tout I. der obaisge, Bru'r Abrharo, an' mknuWkeuwmmWkmmmmmmmmm whut sort o' change does too pru-fui?" pru-fui?" '1 prufurs er change dat'll fetch me oack my trade. Dis yere blame branch office business dun gone fur er 'mid. It's de tail dat la er wag-gin wag-gin de dog. I wants de dog ter wagde tail er while. I doan' blebe you gits dem letters from do Gumcr-ment Gumcr-ment no bow. I noticed dat dar ain't no post stamps on de letters you gits." "Da doan put post stamps on de letters dat da sends ter de branch office, an' ef you waster show yo Ignuncecrgin I kaln't liCpit. I haii done my beat to cdycateyou, au ef you is 'termined ter take de bit o' ignunce twlxt yo teeth an' run off down In de woods o darkness, dark-ness, I shan't hoi' you back." B,"! ain't tuk no bit o' ignume 'tween my teeth an' doan' low tri; but I tell you what I Is gwine ter take 'tween my teeth, an' de meat 'lougs ter er rdggor dat keeps er branch postofllce." "Ob, no doubt, ef you takes meat 'tween yo' teeth it 'longs ter souo-bcdyeLie. souo-bcdyeLie. Ycu went ter depenny-tenchy depenny-tenchy once fur takin uder folks' meat 'tween yo' teeth.' "I ain't gwine to be slandered, so you got ter fight right j ete." "I thought suthlu' like dat," Bid ret lied, "an dat 'a de' reason I set up neatly all night er tiroppln' dis yere razor. She's tiowertul keen now," he added, taking a razor frou his besom. "Do Constertu tion say, an' say It mighty p'lntedly, dat when de branch postmaster thinks er fight is er comln', w'y, he must strop his razor, an' den' let Datur' take her co'ee." "Look yere, Bid, 1 doan wanter hab no trouble wld you." "So I sees, sab." "Deu lei us settle dis er' 'fa'r." "Oh, Iso Willi n' to do that, fer de CoDitertutlon says, an' says migbty p'lutediy, dat de branch postmaster must settle all de trouble no kin." "I thought," said Abraham, after a moment's reflection, "dat I mout sell my rto' ter you." "Vas, sab, ya, dat's good. I'll buy yo'sto'an' depostotllce, too." "How much ycu sin?" "I'ltgin you er bunUtMdellari in cash." "An' sign r paper takin' ail de 'eponcerbilities o' de efflct"" "Yas, I'll do dat" The next day Bid sold bis wagon and team and handtd Abraham one hundred dollars. He also signed a paper taking upon himself ail responsibility res-ponsibility fur tbe previous running ot the office. Just as old Abraham hid mounted bis horse to rldeawsy a friend approached him and said: 'Abe, 1 think you wuz mignty foolhh ter. sell out fur dat little price." "Docs "you? Wall, honey, you doau know dis yere life ea well ez I does, I has nun 'bezzied all de taxi stomps dat has come inter de ofllce, an' s!des dat de stork o' goods wuz mortgaged for two htinnud dollars, an' do pusson gw ine lit do mortgage termorrer. Wall, good by, 1 ma,' be rldin' on toward er quitter neighborhood. neigh-borhood. 77i World. |