Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-07
BOOK AGENT GOT EVEN

There are slews and slathers Of schemes
for getting revenge" said a Washington
business man who has half a dozen mo
Agents or Peddlers'' signs tackled up
around his office, ''but the way a fellow
bit of warm talk that was obliged to hand
out to him beats anything that mas come
my way down to date.
THE chap was a book agent who came
into my office yesterday morning not much
later than fifteen minutes after I had
reached my desk. was busy with my
mornings mail, and when he unhitched
the leather covering around his stack OF
sample copies Of Photographers OF the Ola
Masters 1 simply nodded In the direction
of one of those No Agents or Peodiers
signs and supposed that he would take the
hint and mosey out. But he didn't mosey.
He was a tall, heavy-set, healthy LOOKING
individual who appeared as If he might be
able to take care Of himself pretty well In
a scrap. and no doubt he had fallen into
the habit Of presuming upon his appear
ance of physical ability. Anyhow he began
pictures.
Now, I haven't any time to fool away
with such truck as that, l said TO MIN
in pretty testy way when saw tnau ne
of the Old Masters, never bougnt
book in my life from a book agent, and
never am going to buy one from DOOM
agent. and If you've got any regard for
your tonsils and understand the meaning
of the conservation Of energy you'll traipse
right out that door on your lett an" let ms
alone
conversation as Just so much mere airy
persifage.
But I know he put in. that II you
take but one glance at this magnncent col.
lection of perfect reproductions OF the oiU
masters, you will change
.I will do nothing Of the SORT broke
in, and I'm not going to take one-eghth VI
one glance at the collection. either. L m
patient man, but I want you to go OUT OF
here, and quick. The gall of you people,
anyhow, providing into a mans office when
he hasn't any more than got down 10 MS
business little after o CLOCK In the MORN
ing and springing such rot as a coHection
of old masters on him-on your way!
well, that fellow smiled right IN my
teeth in way that clearly showed that ne
considered that I was delivering myself OF
the usual badinage under the circumstances,
and then he proceeded:
"'But, sir, hate to deprive you of the
opportunity to look over this superb vol
ume before you have given yourself the
chance to reflect upon the extraordinary
offer which I am making. I am the only
representative Of the firm publishing this
work to cover the District of Columbia ter
", 1
for more than week or SOL shall Ger
tainly not get down this way again. AS
you will see this volume embodies the most
famous works of the most eminent OF the
old masters, and it comprises nearly three
hundred photographers, with more than six
hundred pages of explanatory matter, most
Of 1t written by the most notable art critics
of Europe, and"
"'Oh, Mike-and Pat! I yelled, rushing
to the Office door as II to summon a couple
of porters Of the proportions of piano NOV
ersI only employ one porter, and he's
rather an manufacturing colored man
and then the book agent tilted his hat to
me with flourish and disappeared through
the other door.
my wife greeted me at the door when I
got home last evening with an unusually
gracious manner that can usually detect
the meaning Oft generally means that
she's made purchase that's not down on
the little schedule
"'Well, what is 1t you've blown yourself
to this time? I said to her. You might as
well tell me now, and show 1t to me after
dinner
"'Oh, but I know you won't be cross
about this said my wife. in a tone Of I'M
usual confidence under the circumstances.
It's that beautiful book that you sent that
young man up to show mel never knew
before, by the way, that you were partial
to reproductions Of the old masters. But
1t is such handsome volume, and it really
seems cheap at SIS, don't you think?'
Then she raced into the library and
brought forth the book to show to me. I
was too stupefied to say anything for five
minutes, but then I gradually became able
to get to the bottom Of the scheme. There
wasn't much to 1t. The husky book agent
whom I had turned down had simply pick
ed up one Of my business envelopes on his
way out. Then he had looked up my house
number in the directory, raced UP to the
house, showed my wife the envelope and
told her that he had seen me and that I
was vastly interested in the book, but
hadn't time to look it over carefully, but
that If my wife wished to purchase it to
tell her that 1t would be all highland she
had bought 1t, delighted at my growing
artistic taste as she put it. He more than
squared it up with me for the installment
Of inflated conversation which I bestowed
upon him-but wait till the next book agent
drops in here, that's ALL"