Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-01-25
GOING TO THE DOGS.

i received your bill to-day, \
Leonard, said Mr.. Baker, as he emit
ed the shop of master mechanic.
4 hope it will cause you no troubIe
make lta rule to send out all accouI~
at this season. returned the mechar
bowing.
sGn oh, no; not at all. l am ready y
pay you,' said Baker, but think yoe
bill rather high You must throw Is
snmething. Let me see'-and the Gin
toner drew out the bilI-'twenty sewn
dollars and forty six cents. Twens'
i've will do. There, receipt the b.
and will ray you.'
But Leonard shook his head.
i can't deduct cent from the b..
Mr.. Baker. Every article is charg
at our regular prices, and every caD
less than the bill is Just so much clS'
3 loss to me- II.
'Oh, yes, you can. Just makeia
twenty-five dollars, even mon}e
Here it is.' And Mr.. Baker count
out the cash.
Il am sorry, Mr.. Baker. Icannot
ford to deduct anything. If you oW
me only twenty-five dollars your In
{ would have been just that amount. II
would not have added cent beyCA
what Is due, nor can I take anythi
less than my due.'
Then you won't deduct the
money p 'eazs-siaF hsr :.
i cannot indeed !
Very WE'LL The manner of
customer was changed. He was e !
IDENTIFY offended. The bill is too hi |
by just the sum asked to have stril
en- of. But no matter, | can pay ii. y
Then you mean to insinuate,' saiC
the mechanic, who was an independen
sort of a man. that i am cheating you
out of two dollars and forty-si cents /?
4 didn't say so.' e.
But it is plain that you think so, Oh
you wouldn't have asked an abate
q ment. Ifyou consider my charges just
you wouldn't dispute them.'
oh, never mind, never mindi well
not waste words about it. Here's your
morey,' said Mr.. Baker, and he added
another five-doilar 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 petulant air, and then
turned away and left the shop without
another word.
Its the last bill he will ever have
against me- mHttered Baker to him.
self, as he walked away IF that is his
manner of treating his customers, he'll
soon go to the dogs. 1t was downright
insulting, and no gentleman will stand
that from another much less from q
Vulgar mechanic. tMean toinsinuste.'
Yes. g HumpI Yes, did mean to in.
sinuate,' and Mr.. Baker iuvoluntarily
quickened his pace. He'll lose a good
Customer be continued to himself. i
have paid him great deal of money,
but it's the last dollar of mine he'll
ever handle.'
Baker was as good as his word. He
Withdrew his custom from the offend
ing mechanic and gave it to another.
= -
.iaT'ye got one of your old customers.
Leonard, said a friend in the same
business TO the mechanic some six or
eight months afttrward.
- 'Ab !.whois it? go asa q
Baker, y 1lsa-as
Leonard shrugged hisshoulders.
Z How came you TO lose him p
'I'lI tell you how to keep him. said
Leonard, if you want TO adopt that
kind of BUSINESS / confess j do not
myself fE
asWeil, how %
IF your bill amounts to thirty dollars
make 1t thirty-three and few odd
cents by increasing some Of the items.
He will,want the surplus knocked offl
which you can afford to do; then he |
will pay it, and think you just the man
for him. ,-sg erg9
You lost him, then, because Won