Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 October 1884 — The Polite Stranger and the Architect [ARTICLE]

The Polite Stranger and the Architect

“Ah, good morning,” said the polite stranger. “I hope Ido not interrupt you, but I would like to call your attention for just a mo ” “Haven’t time to look at you a minute,” said the young architect, snappishly; “this is my busy day. Good morning. ” “But I just want you to ” “Haven’t time; haven't a dollar; haven’t a cent in the office; don’t want any book, pencil-holder, knife-sharp-ener, pen-wiper—don’t want nothing—won’t buy it if you talked to me for a week. Get out!” .“But,” persisted the stranger, pleasantly; “I don’t want you to buy it; I don’t want to sell it; I “Tell you I won’t look at it,” roared the architect, “and I won’t be bothered; I’m carrying all the insurance I can, and want to get rid of that; I don’t want to get in on the ground floor with any land company in America. I don’t want a chance in the Blackleg Equitable Distribution, and I don’t wantjyou around here any longer. Slide off!” “But you see,” said the stranger, smiling, “I only want a moment of your tune to show you ” “Don’t want to see it, and I won’t see it,” shrieked the exasperated architect. “I don’t want any perpetual calendar, for I don’t expect to live more than a thousand years; don’t want any ready interest reckoner, because the other man reckons the interest and I pay it; don’t want any patent sleeve-buttons, necktie-fasteners, blotting-pads, letterbooks, bill-files, binders, or eyeletpunches. You fly down them-stairs or I’ll punch your head I” Then the stranger got mad. “Look here,” he said, “I’ve had enough of your lip. I’ve got a little capias on you right here that I wanted to show you— Misfit & Wrinkle, fashionable tailors, $119.27 —now you come right over to Squire Holdfast’s office and look at it or you’ll get into fpnef.” The busy architect said he could spare him about an hour and a half if I he had such a useful novelty as that to show him. Why didn’t he say so before. And so they went over to look at it.— Louisville Courier-Journal,