Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-09-22
ART OF GETTING "HUNG UP"

ART OF GETTING "HUNG UP"
1t Is Simple Enough to Get Credit if You
Know How.
He was past master in the
science of getting trusted. Years of
genteel poverty had made him pro
fcient, and even when the cause
was removed and poverty had given
way to prosperity he continued the
practice of getting hung up" mere
ly for the fun of the thing.
II want to keep my hand in, he
explained. "a man can get rusty
in this business just as in any other,
and no man knoweth the day on the
hour when adversely and busted
ness will come and he will need
credit"
There was no effort on his part to
keep his system secret. On the
contrary, nothing gave him keener
pleasure than to display his skill
before a crowd Of admiring friends.
He was walking up Broadway the
other day with man whom he had
just met. The temptation to show
off was too great to be resisted.
"I'll just bet you the price of the
CIGARS he proposed suddenly,
"that can get four of them with.
out paying cent
II presume you can," said the
would be victim. s an even bet
that you have scme place along here
where you stand in. You let me
pick out the place where you are to
get them and I'll take you up"
"All right, " the expert answered
"You go ahead and pick out the
shop. 1t doesn' t matter to me where
it is. Ones as good as another y
The victim walked his companion
from Twenty third street to Forty
second before he dared to risk
chance, and then suddenly and with
out warning he turned him into u
big hotel on the corner
"Now get the cigars he ordered.
The expert walked up to the stand,
greeted the proprietor as if he had
known him all his life and picked
out four Is cent straigh t cigars. One
he passed to his friend, another he
placed in his mouth, carefully bit
ing the end off, and the other two
he put in his pocket All the time
he was hunting through his peck
cts. After he had searched them all
carefully and had even taken out
his card case and examined the in
terror, he turned to the cigar man
and, with only moderate display
of embarrassment, announced that
he would have to pay him when he
came in again. He had neglected
! to bring any money with him.
"Why, certainly said the cigar
man. PAY me any time you think
of it.
'That's 50 cents you owe, said
the expert when they had reached
the street, "andI'll tell you how it s
done.
"You thought that was such an
old trick that l would not have the
nerve to work it, didn't yous There S
where you make a mistake. The
old games, if they are played right,
are the best ones always.
"The trouble is in playing them
right. You would have made a
botch of it at once. You would have
professed great embarrassment,
apologized profusely, fumbled
through your pockets frantically
and arouse the suspicious of the
cigar dealer instantly. Did you no.
tice how did itf Betrayed only a
gentlemanly embarrassment, didn't
get unduly excited and made the
dealer actually think that l was
comforting a favor by letting him
trust me for the cigars.
"You want to patronize them
that's what they want and expect.
The moment you let them suspect
that your embarrassment is more
than temporary you are lost.
have other tricks, but none as effect
i've as this old one. Go in and give
a man your card with an l O U on
it, and if you are brazen enough
about it you can get what you want.
He will be so dumfounded that he
] won't come to until you have gone