FUN IN A GROCER'S SHOP.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 379, 19 July 1911, Page 7

FUN IN A GROCER'S SHOP.

Smiling genially, Mrs. McLardy, Mr. Pennycook's best and stoutest customer, departed from his grocey establishment with nearly three shillings' worth of goods in her hands, and with the end of a new ball of twine pinned to the tail of her mantle. Mr. Pennycook, adjusting his spectacles, saw the twine flowing from the round tin box in which he had placed it less than an hour ago, but for fully a minute he merely o-aped at the mysterious occurence, while his message boy, doubled up behind a pile of "dummy" tea chests, stalled more and more of his dirty handkerchief into his humourous mouth and quaked with unholy delight. For a moment the flow o! twine stopped (Mrs. McLardy had made up her mind to cross the street). The flow quickened, and suddenly became a rush. Mrs. Mc La;dy had dodged a vehicle, which had caught and run away with the twine. The twine fairly whirled out, and coming to a knot, jerked the bos off the counter, along the floor, and into the street, with a clank and clatter that roused the grocer from his stupor, and caused the half-suf-focated boy to remove his cotton gag and indulge in a wild gasping guffaw. "Ye wee rascal !" cried Mr. Pennycook. "I didna mean tae dae't," cried the boy. "But—but she was that fat !" "That's nae excuse ! It's no her fau't if she's fat. When ye pit hauf a pun' o' peasemeal in Mistress Cameron's umburella ye said ye done it because she was thin, an " "Naw. It was because she wis aye sayin' she wis aye lookin' upward for a shower o' blessin's an " "Dinna be unrev'rent, ye wee—l mean John Robinson ! I can thole stupeedity, but loose conversation I canna permit. Ye'll gang on Seturday nicht—that's the last day o' the year, x'll no hae ye in the shop a meenit after Seturday nicht. D'ye hear ?" "Ay, I hear." And John Robinson groaned. "What'll ma auntie say ?" That was a touching question, but Mr. Pennycook steeled his heart to do his duty.—From Mr. Pennycook's Boy,"