Two promoters once called on Mr. Russell Sage to try to interest
him in a certain scheme. They talked to the great financier
about an hour. Then they took their leave, having been told that
Mr. Sage’s decision would be mailed to them in a few days. “I
believe we’ve got him,” said the first promoter hopefully, on
the way uptown. “I don’t know,” rejoined the other. “He seems
very suspicious.” “Suspicious?” said the first. “What makes you
think he was suspicious?” “Didn’t you notice,” was the reply,
“how he counted his fingers after I had shaken hands with
him?”--New Orleans _States_.
(3135)
* * * * *
The people who make it their chief business in life to see that
they are not imposed upon very frequently wrong others in their
over-eagerness to maintain their rights. The following incident
has a valuable lesson for all impulsive folk who are also a
little inclined to suspect the motives of other people.
A countryman, says an exchange, came into a village store with a
very angry demeanor. “Look here,” he began sharply, “I bought a
paper of nutmegs here yesterday, and when I got home I found ’em
mor’n half walnuts. And there is the young villain I bought ’em
of,” he added, pointing to the proprietor’s son.
“John,” said the father, “did you sell this man walnuts for
nutmegs?”
“No, sir,” was the ready response.
“You needn’t lie about it,” exclaimed the farmer, still further
enraged by the young man’s assurance.
“Now, look here,” said John, with a good-natured smile, “if you
had taken the trouble to weigh your nutmegs, you would have
found that I put walnuts in extra.
“Oh, you gave them to me, did you?” asked the man in a somewhat
mollified tone.
“Yes, sir; I threw in a handful for the children.”
“Well, if you ain’t a good one!” the man remarked, with restored
good humor. “An’ here I’ve been making an idiot of myself. Just
put me up a pound of tea, will ye. I’ll stop and weigh things
next time.”
(3136)
=Swearing=--See CONSCIENCE; OATHS.