Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 October 1891 — He Didn’t Get the Better of Pat. [ARTICLE]

He Didn’t Get the Better of Pat.

.. "Some time ago I was trading in a village store,” writes a correspondent, “when one of the clerks came to the junior partner, who chanced to be waiting on me, and said: ‘Won’t you please step to the desk a moment? Pat Flynn wants to settle his bill, and insists on having a receipt.’ “The merchant was evidently annoyed. ‘Why, what does he want of a receipt?’ he said; ‘we never give one. Simply cross his account off the book; that is receipt enough.’ . “ ‘So I told him,’ answered the clerk, ‘but he is not satisfied. You had better see him.’ “So the proprietor stepped to the desk, and after greeting Pat with a ‘good morning’ said, ‘You wished to settle your bill, did you?’ to which Pat replied in the affimative. “ ‘Well,’ said the merchant, ‘there is no need of giving you-a receipt. Seel I will cross your account off the book,’ and suiting the action to the word he drew his pencil diagonally across the account. ‘That is as good as a receipt.’ “ ‘And do ye mane that that settles it?’ asked Pat. “‘That settles it,’ said the merchant. “‘And ye’re shore ye’ll never be afther askin’ me fur it again?’ “ ‘We’ll never ask you for it again,’ said the merchant decidedly. “ ‘Faith, then,’ said Pat, ‘and I’ll be afther kapin’ me money in me pocket, for I haven’t paid it yet’ “The merchant’s face flushed angrily, as he replied, ‘Oh, well, I can rub that ou# “ ‘Faith, now, and I thought that same,’ said Pat. “It is needless to add that Pat obtained his receipt.”