The Argosy, Volume XLIV — page 253: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A BARGAIN “No, answered Mrs. Scales. ‘ What are the most expensive?” “Fourteen dollars and eighty cents a hundred,” said the young man. Mrs. Scales made a hasty calculation, using her forefinger as a pencil and the counter as a slate. “Good gracious,” she cried when she had succeeded in obtaining a correct solution of the problem, “ that is nearly fifteen cents apiece! ” “Fifteen cents straight is what they sell for, madam,” said the voung man. “And well worth the money.” “T couldn’t think of paying that much,” Mrs. Scales declared decidedly. “No one would want to throw away money like that on cigars. I don’t sup- pose the king of England’s cigars cost so much.” The young man, with a superior air, informed her that the king of Ing- land’s cigars cost a dollar apiece. “Tm glad I’m not one of his subjects then,’ Mrs. Scales answered with a toss of the head. “ Such extravagance! My husband would think I had gone crazy if I paid fifteen cents apiece for a hun- dred cigars.” “Have you any idea what he pays himself? ” the salesman suggested. Now, it so happened that Mrs. Scales, remonstrating with her husband on the number of cigars he consumed, had asked him that very question some weeks before, and Mr. Scales, whose tastes were a little ahead of his income, and who had no desire to enter into an argument on the cost of the only ex- pensive luxury he permitted himself, had replied laughingly-and evasively: “Thfte cents apiece, my love, will hardly send us into the poorhouse.” So that when the clerk asked the question, Mrs. Scales was able to give him the desired information. “Three cents apiece!” echoed the clerk, pursing his lips and wondering inw ardly what sort of a man Mr. Scales was. “I’m afraid we haven’t anything quite as cheap as that.” Mrs. Scales looked disappointed. “TI wouldn’t mind going a little higher than that,” she. said, “as I in- tend this to be a treat for my husband. Something a little better than he is ac- customed to.” - has just started business. IN WEEDS. 249 * You should have no trouble in ma- king a choice, madam,” the salesman replied encouragingly. “I think I can show you something that should an- swer. ‘Here is an entirely new brand, just put on the market by a firm that for the money.’ Ile took a box from the shelf behind him, pried up the lid, and, opening it with a flourish, presented the interior for the inspection of his customer. “The Upper Ten,” commented Mrs. Scales, regarding with favoring eyes the lithograph on the lid. “The name sounds all right. I suppose people lke that do really smoke these cigars? ”’ She pointed to the picture of a man in evening dress of a fashionable cut and a white waistcoat, who, seated in a crimson velvet chair, amid palatial sur- roundings, and with a bottle of cham- pagne convenient at his elbow, was blowing thick clouds of smoke from an “ Upper Ten ” cigar. “ Sure,” answered the clerk with con- viction. “And the Seales. “Dollar eighty the box of fifty. Three sixty the hundred.” Mrs. Scales went through another calculation, and, having satisfied herself after a short struggle with the fractions regarding the price of the individual cigars, produced her purse and paid for two boxes. “Shall I send them for you?” the clerk asked as he wrapped them up. “No, thank you,” }frs. Scales an- swered. “I will take them with me. You might send them to the wrong per- son.” “We should soon hear of it if we did,” the clerk said emphatically. “I mean,” he added, noting a look of sur- prised inquiry on his customer’s face, ‘“T mean that smokers are so particular about getting what they order. More particular than other people.” _Mrs. Scales nodded in corroboration. “My husband js very particular him- self,” she said, “ but I shouldn’t be at all surprised if he came here and or- dered some more. I don’t suppose he ever heard of this name.” The salesman, who was in a hurry to price?” queried Mrs. ECOMRRIC LOG Good quality ’ (GO) awa