Tales of the Road

ll of the party came back to ou

(failure) was forced upon him. Even a tricky merchant does not bring failure upon himself if business is good and he can help it, because, if he has ever been through one, he knows that the bust-up does him a great deal more harm tha

leave him able to go into business again, and, with anything like fair trade, discount all his bills. I knew the season was a fairly good one and felt quite sure that,

ccount again. However, there I was on a commission basis! I knew the man would pay for

ould be around the next morning about ten o'clock. I went down to the

ellow,' he said. 'He skinned us once and it's

lked it over with him. He had told me only the day before

he sixth floor if you're willing to sell it to him. He uses that kind of "Drek" and is now shaped up so that he

old man. 'Anything to get the stuff out of the h

both say so, I'll go

elieved that my man would after that prove a faithful

a good humor. He thought a great deal of me-I had always been square with him-and he wasn't such a bad fellow. He had merely done what many other men would have done under the same circumstances. When he had got into the hole, he was going to climb out wi

etty low for the past season and that he has had a little misfortune that often comes into the path of the business man. He, you also know, has squared this with everybody

e picking up with me

a lesson. He has seen the folly, and suffered for it, of buying so many goods so far ahead. What he aims to do from this time on is to run a strictly cash business, and to buy his goods for cash or on very short terms. We have picked out five hundred dollars' worth of goods-I'

our life. I've l

This was about the smoothest job I think I ever did. I really don't believe that either the credit man or my customer was fully onto my work. Joe, however, has thanked me for that many a time since. He's paid up my house promptly and used them for

one of the boys, touching th

this sort, and I never do but that I tell them about it afterwards. The straight path is the one for the traveling

while many others give 40-10-5, which, added up, makes 55, but, in truth, is less than fifty straight. Once, in Chicago, I fel

ll), I can't stand your discounts. You don't let me make eno

m to you that way,' said I

en,' and he ga

terms that I had made this man. But after he said he would use a certain num

you going to give me-th

d I. 'I'm not going to do b

again? Other people do it right along, and your ho

rms that you ask. Do you know what I did? You wouldn't let me have things my way and be square with you, so I skinned you on that little express orde

he difference between 50 off straight and 40-10-5, 'Thi

think? Suppose he'd done that figuring before you'd got around and shown him voluntarily that you skinned him and why. I know one of my customers, at

re right,"

t I could never press matters upon him. There are merchants, you know, of this kind. I'd really rather have a man spar me with bare 'knucks' than with eight-ounce

know, I sized him up from that. It showed me just as plain as day that he was kind hearted and it struck me, quick as a flash, that my play was generosity. People somehow who are free at heart admire this trait in others. When a man h

lar into the Salvation Army Captain's hand, and said, 'Sister, the War Cry is worth that

rue and literal Christian, it is the girl who wears the Salvation Army bonnet. And to just giv

arely possible that I might have something in my line that would interest you. My house is old established and they do business in a straightforward manner. If you can spare the time, I should be very glad indee

my merchant friend, 'why, the

shop when I'm in a rush and wish nothing but a shave, than to have the barber

, I'll run down and see you right after luncheon. 'No,' said he, pulling out his watch, 'I might a

'this is kind of you.

re valuable than that of any other man I know of. In many lines he must make his living in four to six mont

me things that strike me. I hadn't intended putting in any more goods for this season, but here are a few numbers that I'm sure I can use. I can't give you a very large order. However, if you

either, and from that time on he has always been

he best that's coming," broke in

o be sure, I do a one price business; but even then, you know, we can all do a man a good turn if he makes us have an interest in his

r him; but when you did strike one that was on the other side, he was there good and hard! Yet, most of those who were against Bryan by the time September rolled around were beginning to think that he was going to win out. I had just left Chicago and had been atten

ped into one man's store-he was a Republican, but he said to me, 'Heavens alive! How do you expect me to buy any goods this year? Why, Bryan's going to be elected sure's your b

Jarvis across the way. If he keeps on buying and things come out the way

ants in a town and the sort of business they're in, but when I got down to the J's I saw that Jarvis was rated

e about was, 'Well, how

and bac

w bank so deep he'll never get out,

Bryan's come from this state; and a few hayseed Populists who've always been Republican heretofore are going to vote for him. Shucks! They don't amount to anything. It's the East that

otly and said, 'Well, I'm one of them crazy Pops you're talking abo

'but if I was, I'd put up my store against yo

uggist. 'You'd better either put up or shut up. I'l

more than the bet itself. I reached for my roll of expense money-I had about two hundred dollars on me-

ad, and went over to the bank and drew a couple of hundred more. I drew it on personal account as I had plenty of money coming to me from the firm. Soon a couple of fellows came in who wa

ot and give you an order. This is the best time for me to buy goods. All these other fellows around here are croaking about the election and they're not going to have anything to

cards and say, 'Here, you send me about what you think I ought to have out of this lot

wn," spoke up one of the boys, "to get a g

though," said th

McKinley win the election?

nd heard Bryan speak to the business men. It looked to me like the whole house was with him. I heard a dozen men around where I sat say, after the spe

ood customer out o

the election he sent me the thousand and I we

your mind

he old man I made a clean breast of it, and said, 'I

ll right,' he sa