The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-05-12

cigar or a drink, it is all up with the
magnetism"
How do you answer him y
4" look serious, very serious indeed,
but nm enoessiUely polite. I plead ehat
/ have infinite running about TO do
which precludes my calling for the
pleasure Of the thing. Still the bill
was handed me to collect, and il he will
name day for payment I will certainly
be en- hand. II l can get his sober
attention 1 am all right, but the chan.
ces are he will chaif me two or three
times, and, rs he is good fellow, my
perseverance is rewarded at last.
Thus far / don't see the dark side
OF the picture"
Win come to It presently. Imust
get on methodically. You must bear
In mind, have often double trial. A
physician sends for me-he is desper.
ately hard mp. Take these accounts,
he says recollect, money / must
have / go ahead. The first person L
call on flies in o passion. II is not
possible l can't believe it 1 don't
believe it Why, sent the doctor
fifty dollars last week, with word he
must wait another month for the bal
ance he sent answer it was all right,
and now he hns put it in the hands OF q
collector-perfectly shameful, consider
ing the amount Of money have paid
him. / try TO explain. / talk OF o
sudden loss, OF don't know what else,
but tho man has got me down on mag
netism, and he keeps me down. He
defies the doctor, and looks at MOS II
were swindler. He will pay itin q
month, and no sooner, Just as agreed
on-wouldn't pay sooner II he had the
cash in his pocket. / get out Of the
house the easiest way possible. IhAye
made no mistake, but the doctor has. ]
report TO him. He at once blows me
up for being too pressing too profess
sional for not managing better, any
how. / accept the talk /; it don't mean
anything. / know that, but II isn't
pleasant-no, II isn't pleasant The
chances are, the doctor will writeto his
patient, tell him a direct falsehood,
how the account got by accident into
my hands, that l acted without orders I;
hoping the matter will be overlooked.
Poor man, to tell such q Lie Just for
nething-how humiliating."
Others go further. / had bill for
nine hundred dollars against-well, u
very pretty, fashionablewoman. Itwns
for oil sorts OF fancy goods. The mer-
chant thought the people were getting
shaky. I'VE must lookyery sharp, he
said, "or we shall lose this I had no
idea Of losingit. 1called in the morn
ing, about ten; my Indy had not been
to breakfast. Icalled at one, she was
engaged at SIX, she was at dinner (;
later in the evening, she was at the
opera. By dint VI extraordinary perse-
yerance / succeeded, through the SER
want, in getting her to name an hour
when she would be Mt home. She was
ut home, but dressed for drive, and
could not stop minute 10 see me. She
was impertinent, very. 1 always call
that good sign, Just asgetting angry is
gobd sign. "Who sent me Z" she
wanted to know that. mo one sends
me, madame" I said 'ft is my own
'bnsiness am conducting, which is that
OF collecting bills which are considered
little doubtful or difficult" doubt
ful do you call bill against me doubt
ful9" "With entire respect, i must say
I do" She rushed in the carriage in a
rage, and was OF. The next day she
called at my clients store and paid up
every cent Ny man was so much In
Auenced by her statement OF my con-
duct, coupled with the possession Of the
money, that he,took me 10 task for do
ing my duty, although those folks failed
in thirty days from that time. Ny feel.
ings were very much hurt, but 1 could
afford to pity the man. l pity all who
prevaricate and Lie, and he did both.
The collector drew long breath, and
continued:
''Next come the unfortunates who are
so hard-pressed they really can't pay,
but they are ashamed TO own it Why,
il folks would come right out, honor
bright, and say, We can't do 1t, there's
no use talking, / would wait a whole
year but they say, next week, and
next month, and in fortnight, and
very soon indeed, probably Thursday
Now, ] ditGays keep an appointment,
and II you could hear how, time after
time, running through gear or two
years, new excuses are fabricated for
each occasion, you wouldn't wonder at
my pity for these poor, wretched, de-
graded souls"
"But 1 should think, understanding
their situation, you would let them
know it kindly, and save yourself much
running"
"That is not my occupation. My oc.
cupation is to collect Mo money, and |
expect to run after II. Yes, nobody
runs like me morning, noon, and into
the night. But l don't mind 1t"
"You have said nothing Of those who
impose on you"
"Ah, it is only when my people un.
dertake to impose onme that my genius
rises to the occasion. once had bill
against q club.man-only fifteen dol
lars. You would know him II l mem
toned his name. He never pays any
thing-belongs to two first-class clubs.
/ followed him from one to the other I;
he would make appointments as often
as / liked, but never kept them-was nt
the pompous sort. One day he would
be going to receive q check another
day he would show II 10 me II was 70
be cashed in the morning, and should
be paid. Then he would go to Wash.
ington, aud no one knows where. l
lost his track once for three months.
At last 1 caught him at the - Club.
He looked very lofty. Thomas, said
he to the waiter, 'change this bill for
me- The waiter took IL, and presently
returned. II was too large. You see
hnur Il l. y nnid fhn tnnnnnkA IL the