Saturday morning visitor., 1848-06-10
From the Columbian Magazine.
GOING TO THE DOGS.
BY T. s. ARTHUR.

y
ard, said customer, az he entered the
shop Of master mechanic.
we are sending out our accounts at this
season. returned the mechanic, bowing.
4 want to pay yon.'
very well. Mr.. Baker, we are always
glad to get money
But you must throw off something
Let me see'-and the customer drew out
the blll-'twenty seven dollars and forty
six cents. Twenty five will do. There,
receipt the bill, and will pay YOU
But Leonard shook his head.
4 can't deduc, cent from that bill, Mr.
Baker. Every article is charged at our
regular price,
oh, yes, you can. Just make it twen-
ty-tive dollars, even money. Here it is.
And Baker counted out the cash.
Il am sorry, Mr.. Baker, but cannot
afford 10 deduct anything. If you only
owed me twenty-five dollars, your bill
would have been just that amount. |
would not have added cent beyond what
is due, nor can take less than my due.
Then you won't deduct the odd mon
ey?'
Il cannot, indeed
Very well' The manner Of the Gus
omer changed. He was evidently olien-
ded. The bill is too high by just the
sum asked TO have stricken off. But no
matter, | can pay it.
Then you mean TO insinuate, said the
mechanic, who was an independent sort of
man, that | am cheating you out of two
dollars and foriy-six cents?'
j didn't say So
But it is plain that yod think so, or you
wouldn't have asked an abatement. II
you considered my charges Just, you
wouldn't dispute them
oh, never mind, never mind we'll not
waste words about it. Here's your mo-
ney,' said Mr.. Baker; and he added an
other five dollar bill to the sum he had
laid down. The mechanic receipted the
account, and gave the change, both of
which his customer thrust into his pocket,
with petulent air, and then turned away
and left the shop without saying another
word.
IT'S the last bill he ever has against me,
muIiered Baker to himself, as he walked
away. If that's his manner of treating
customers, he'll soon go to the dogs. He
was downright insulting, and no gentle
man will stand that from another, much
less from mechanic. Mean to insinuate
Humph! Yes, did mean 10 insinuate.
Ard Mr.. Baker involuntarlly quickened
his pace. He'll lose one good customer
he continued to himself. 'l've paid him
a great deal OF money, but it's the last dol
lar oil mine he ever handles
Baker was as good as his word. He
Withdrew his custom from the offending
mechanic, and gave it 10 another.
'Tve got one of.your old customers,
Leonard said friend in the same busi-
ness, to the mechanic, some six or eight
months afterwards.
'Ah! who is it p
Baker
Leonard shrugged his shoulders.
'How came you to lose him p
4 can tell you how 10 keep him.
well, how p
IF your bill amounts TO thirty dollars,
make it thirty-three and few odd cents,
by increasing some OF the items. He will
want the surplus knocked of, which you
can afford TO do; then he will pay 1t, and
think you just the man for him.
You lost him, then, because you would
not abate any thing from true billP'
i did,
Thank you. But suppose my bill
should be twenty-six or seven, or eight
what then? / couldn't knock off the odd
dollars for the purpose of making an even
sum-
mo. In that case you must add on un-
til you get about thirty,
'And fall back TO thatr
'Yes. 1t will be knocking off the odd
dollars, which he will think clear gain
That would hardly be honest.
Hardly but you must do it, or lose
his custom some day Or other
i shall have to accommodate him, sup
pose. # he will be cheated, it can't be
helped
On the very first bill that Baker paid
his new tradesman, he obtained an sbate-
ment Of one dollar and ninety cents odd
money, but actually paid three dol
lars more than was justly due. Still he
was very well satisfied, imagining that he
had saving of one dollar and ninety cents.
The not over scrupuIous tradesman laugh
ed in his sleeve and kept his customer.
Having Withdrawn his suppcg: from
Leonard, il was the candid opinion of Mr..
Baker that he was going 70 the dogs, a.