The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-10-14

Finger. wKcn I had talked her around
to the point where she said she would
look at the machine, I concluded that
I had struck the one proper vocation
Of my life. hustled out, ran down
to the hotel. and drove our team up to
the woman's door. I unloaded the ma
chine, and ten minutes later had made
arrangements to leave itvthree weeks
on trial. The woman said she knew
well enough she would like 1t, and
would keep It.
Then treated myself to a cigar,
and waited at the hotel for Carter to
show mp. I walked to meet him with
my hat on one side.
"Well, l sold her a machine" said
he, running his fingers around inside
his collar. and then wiping his brow.
"What? Not that royal Asiatic
tigerr' cried
"To that same rampageous female"
he replied, with immense satisfaction.
"We'll drive up and deliver It."
"Well, I've been doing some business
on my own hook" said. II sold the
machine we brought with us, and !
have delivered It,"
"Cash or installmentY Carter asked,
looking at me in some astonishment.
"Well, the whole trade isn't exactly
clenched." I admitted. but it's the
same thing. She has taken 1t for three
weeks on trial, and says she'll probably
keep it."
"Who?"
Mrs. Peter Scott-lives up nearly
opposite your woman"
First Carter sat down and laughed,
then he made some remarks that were
extremely ungentlemanly. didn't
like such talk, and told him as
much.
"You blamed fool" he shouted,
that woman has worked every sew.
ing-machine agent who has come along
when he has been gullible enough.
It's her old trick. She will never buy
a sewing-machine, for she doesn't need
one. She does her sewing each season
on the machines that the fool agents
leave there on trial. Now you go right
up and take back that machine. She'll
claw you down in good shape, but II
will teach you to look out for the
snides after this. You'll find as
general rule that the really good Gus.
toners always cut up rough at the
start-off. Now hustle right up and get
that machine"
/ refused to go, but Carter insisted.
I said I'd throw up my job, but Car
ter reminded me Of some of the items
in my bond. So there was no help
for 1t, and set off up the street.
1 found the woman hard at work
at the machine. She was making the
most of the golden moments. sup.
pose Carter, with his tact and knowl-
edge OF the business, could have eased
the machine away without the riot
that l percipitated. Carter told me
afterward that he could have pro-
vided me with half a dozen little tricks
that experienced agents play to get
machines away from suspicious par
ties, but he wanted me to be dressed
down in good shape. He said 1t was
the only way to learn the sewing-ma-
chine business. learned right there
in ten minutes with that woman more
facts of personal nature than some
young men find out in a college course.
When discovered that was no good
in Joint debate. I simply dared fate
and picked up the machine. Did you
ever see king-bird tackle crow.
and chase the big fellow down across
the sky? Well, that was It! She
buzzed around me, and cuffed my ears
all the way to the front gate. II was
extremely amusing for the neighbors
and for Carter, who stood looking on.
In the years since then have tackled
cross husbands, made collections un-
der the guns, raced rival agents, steeled
my heart and taken machines away
from the poor and the wretched, forced
by grim orders from headquarters,
but under no circumstances have 1
ever felt so wholly like passing in my
resignation as did when staggered
up to the wagon with that hornet in
petticoats giving me things that are
not served at five o'clock teas. Why
did I stay in the business? Well,
belonged to the State militia, and the
first principle of soldering is never
fn roetOp up1ar ra-NVnnop'c uomo