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Show DAD WELLS BUYS A HARNESS "I want to buy hanit'ss, Duve" said stalwart farmer as he wiped the ispiration from his sunburned brow with his bifiT roupli hand. The harness maker looked up. "I want a harness that my old mares can't bust. 1 sure never saw a team liken 'c:n. I can toll . it takes a rijrht stout strap to hold hem mares." The customer, as he j jK)ko, sat on the three lej;ed stool be- j side the harnessmaker and bepan whittl- jug ori a piece of scrap leather thrown away by the. workman. Dave drove a few more tacks as he figured mentally on the price of a harness. "How would the one like Bill Jones got, suit you?" The biff fellow stopped whistling a moment, recharged his mouth with something from his hind pocket, and began chewing thoughtfully. "Well that's about the thing I want, I believe. Bill says it's good enough to hold two span like his sorrels, and if that's so," he stopped to spit and then went on, 'I guess it ought to hold my mares. But say, I aint got no money till I git my grain in this fall but I'll sure have it then." "Well that.s all right, I've just paid for my leather and I guess I can wait on you until then," said Dave as he drove a few more tacks. "If you'll do that, Dave, its a go. Whats yer price?" The big fellow spat again and wiped the overflow from his mustache with his sleeve. "Well I think $35 for the harness you want is about the best figure I can give you. "Lord!" roared the big fellow as he arose to his feet. "You ought to join the plumbers, for at a price like that you could afford to wait for two full cuttin's. Now look here, you know damned well you can do better than that." The big fellow slapped the littie harnessmaker so hard'on the back that it almost took his breach away. "No I can't do any better than that, vou know that leather is high and I have to pay freight!. If vou don't want it at that, why you will have to do next best." "Thats too much Dave, I'd like to buy a harness from you 'cause you're a friend of the family, but I can beat your price all to pieces at Sears & Roebuck's." The listener flushed as he picked up his hammer and began pounding again. After a few moments hesitation the farmer asked. "Dave, ain't you going to give me a better price?" "No sir," was the reply and the big farmer turned quickly an i left the shop. About four weeks after this little event a fine load of strawberries drove up in front of Smith's grocar store and the man with a big smile on his face, jumped from the seat and called for the proprietor. "Say Mr. Smith," he b3gan as the grocer man came to meet him. "I've got the dirnedest finest lot of strawberries straw-berries growedin th country, and I wane you to take a look at 'em." He lifted lift-ed two or three crates of the big red berries down for the grocer to examine. "Haint they everything I say? There aint none growed that'll beat em." "They are very beautiful" replied the grocer as he tested them. "Well, I knew vou'd say so. You know a strawberry when you see it. What do you give for em?" "We pay SI. 50 per crate" replied the grocer as he helped himself again. "You can have 'em every darned one Mr. Smith," said the farmer as he bs- I gan to unload the ber-iies. - "Just one moment Mr. Wells,', said the grocer as he touched the big fellows sleeve, " don't believe I want your berries." "But why?" said the big fellow as he gazed in astonishment at the grocer. "I've got to have the money. Do you see that brand new harness? Well I borrowed the money to send for that with, and I've got to pay it back. The groceryman smiled as he turned to go, at the door he waved his hund to the farmer as he said: "Better rend your strawberries to Sears& Roebuck" The farmer flushed a deeped red, mounted his seat, gave old Jude a punch in. the ribs and drove sorrowfully away. |