HE WASN'T IN.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume X, Issue 957, 31 October 1891, Page 3

HE WASN'T IN.

The following story fromiitie Bulletin shows that they are pretty ranch alike, the world over : — Two ladies of the sort who go round collecting for bazaars and church swindles, and getting donations for the sin remover, struck a dreadfully hard snag m Sydney the other day. They had been 'laying for' a man m the fancy goods line, and had haunted iiis shop off and on for six weeks to get a workbox or a desk or a bronze hnra j ou of him for the great cav e, Someiimes he was out, sometimes he dived below •the counter just m time, or fled upstair? when he saw them coming ; but at last |they took him unawares anl butio i holed lrm. One of them was a large, hard featured female with a bag ; t'to other was a small, roley-poley lady with another bag, and they eacli wore a great , heavenly smile and large boots Roleypoley spoke first, ' I'm so glad to sec you, Mr Smith. We just called m U ;aslcyou"if. you Wouldn't like to giv< something to our ohurch bazaar, ami— :— ' < I'm very sorry, indeed,' said tlu importer, blandly ; 'if you ha 1 callec when I was m I might have been abl< 10 do something for you. Unfortunate

!y, I'm out to-day.' ' tfou're what?* •I'm out — fiom home— unavoidably etaiixd, you know — bad to go imo tlie . ountry.' The little, fat woman looked at him m perplexity, and the large f*t woman glared, 'I beg your pardon, J'«i s-ure, 1 ut where did you BBy you ware ? Out ! Had to remain at home owin to a dreadful attack of toothache. I'm awfully soi ry. I'll be back again some lime next year. ' ' But — really — I donM quite understand. It was Mr Smith w<i wantel to see,* Quite so, madam ' ' Well, you are Mr bmitb, t-reyounot?- --' Certainly, and I would be most happy to. pee you if I were m, but then unfortunately I'm not. Just went out a minute ago, to have a bath, m point of fact.' • Oh, I spe ! f murmured the small, fat woman vaguely, falling back against the c unte . ' I quite under stand. You,re o-o-oufc, of course.' Then the lart,e woman grasped her big and advanced fiercely. 'Mr Smith,' she Sii.d sLernly, ' will you pleaae st>p thi3 fooling aid; give us an answer?' The importer never turned a hair. 'I iissnre you, madam,' he responded blanlly, ' x'tn not fooling.- I've only ijone over to Melbourne, Went over by tha express yesterday.' There w»s such »i luavenly ca m about bira when he said it that the two fat women turned and Hod. And as they went a wild howl of insane mirth arose behind them, and when she h.-ard it the big, fat woman dworo out loud m the sbreet, and the small round female burst into tears.