the pound." He was especially liking that use of "the." It sounded modern.

Yet along came Gashwiler, as if seeking an early excuse to nag, and criticized this.
"Why don't you say 'a yard,' 'a can,' 'a pound' ?" he demanded harshly.
"What's the sense of that there 'the' stuff?
Looks to me like just putting on a few airs.

You keep to plain language and our patrons'll like it a lot better." Viciously Merton Gill rubbed out the modern "the" and substituted the desired "a." "Very well," he assented, "if you'd rather stick to the old-fashioned way; but I can tell you that's the way city stores do it.

I thought you might want to be up to date, but I see I made a great mistake." "Humph!" said Gashwiler, unbitten by this irony.

"I guess the old way's good enough, long's our prices are always right.