The Argosy, Volume XLIV — page 256: what you’re looking at

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

202 not an expensive one, and I should like to know whether it is any good.” Mr. Juppson expressed his readiness to give an expert opinion, and Mrs. Seales, producing her parcel, un- wrapped it with great care_and handed the contents to the tobacconist. Mr. Juppson, his mouth drawn to one side, turned it over several times, smelt it gingerly, and laid it on the counter. “What do you think of 1t?” Mrs. Seales asked eagerly, after waiting in vain for him to say something. The tobacconist answered that he would be able to express his opinion a vool deal more freely if he were talking to the man who made it. “You wouldn’t smoke it yourself? ” queried his interrogator. ~ Not unless he had entirely lost his self respect, said the tobacconist. There were people, no doubt, who would smoke it, he admitted, but he was glad to say he did not number them among his friends. ‘‘] paid three dollars and sixty cents for a hundred of them,” said Mrs. Scales in the low tones of confidence. Mr. Juppson’s eyebrows lifted with a polite affectation of interest. “ And gave them to my husband as a birthday present,” added Mrs. Scales. The dealer grinned broadly. “ Pardon me, madam,” he said, “ but I know Mr. Scales quite well—I have seen you with him—and he is one of my customers. He has a fine taste in tobac- co, and I can hardly imagine him smo- king this—this monstrosity, 1f you will permit me to call 1t by that name.” He picked the cigar off the counter as if it were a loathsome insect, and handed it to the troubled woman. “TI don’t know what to do,’ she said. “It is so disagreeable to admit that vou have made a foolish mistake.” “Tf I were vou ” began the to- hacconist slowly. : “Yes,” urged Mrs. Scales eagerly. “Tf I were you,’ continued Mr. Juppson, who saw his way to doing a little business, “I would buy a hundred really good cigars, with a superficial re- semblance to these, and I would put them in the box without saying any- thing about it. You would have the THE ARGOSY. best of the joke when he smoke them.” “And you think he wouldn’t notice that I had changed them?” Mrs. scales inquired, evidently favoring the suggestion. “Did he take them out of the box? ” Mr. Juppson asked magisterially. “No,” replied Mrs. Scales, “ but he smelt them several times.” The tobacconist admitted that that was against the plan, but added that amateurs in tobacco were notoriously liable to be guided by first impressions, and that Mr. Scales would be sure to think that he had been misled by the price. “It would be great fun,” Mrs. Seales said musingly. “I have a good mind to do it. He would think I had made a wonderful bargain for him.” “Here is a cigar that would answer admirably,” said the tobacconist. “ The Cagliostro. A little crude in appear- ance, but of a very fine quality. Twenty dollars a hundred—and well worth twenty-five,” he added as he noted a startled look on the countenance of the chief conspirator. “Such an awful lot of money,” plead- ed Mrs. Scales. “But well worth it,” insisted the other. “ Think what a lot of pleasure you would both get out of it.” “It is a great temptation,” sighed the lady. “ But—but to tell you the truth, I want to buy a new dress, and I don’t see how I can afford it.” Mr. Juppson smiled sympathetically. “ Of course,” he said, “I wouldn’t like Mr. Scales to know the suggestion came from me, but—he has an account here, and the price is only five dollars more than he will be paying in a short time.” “That settles it,” Mrs. Seales said brightly. “ Please do me up a box at once.” “And you will keep my part in it a strict secret, I trust? Allow Mr. Seales to think the suggestion was en- tirely your own? ” The ladv nodded. “T don’t intend that any one shall share the credit,” she said, as she left the store in a state of great elation at came to so simple a solution of the diffieultv. awa (GO) ElLOOO (GO) awa