The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-11-03

an inexplicable demand now spruag I'D
at the Broadgauge for ''The Enigma. +"
Breathless young women. a few men
and sundry boys and girls arrived de-
manded the book and hurried away
With several copies apiece. Sometimes
they came back for more Extra help
was needed in Popkins section. More
and more the stock room was called
upon for fresh piles of the ,olumes
and the whole store was electric with
excitement. A few clerks understood:
they had heard Name. all forenoon. at
the telephone, calling up one friend
after another. ard to each repeating
the same injunction:
go down to Bamberger's. and get
me The Enigma Yes, get me all YOU
can. and then go again. Yes, yes: pay
for them, and fetch them here. and I'll
have the cash for you. What? No, 7
can't get away, and they're selling Ii
less n we are. Hurry"
And they had noted the stream of
friends who came to Names counter.
each with a parcel. which they ex-
changed for coin. and which parceis
Immediately went to the stock room.
post haste, in the care of strong armed
porters. whence they appeared quickly
in Popkin's region, and made hasty
exits over his counters. These few un-
derstood the Napoleonic contest rag
ing-but they merely smiled
And meanwhile. Healey was still SELL
ing any buying-tons and tons of THE
Enigma" and wondering in his soul
where the Broadgauge got all its sup
ply, and If he never would see the end
of il and of his ill-starred plan. which
was losing him money with every box
that was sold He was a glad man
when closing time came and he viewed
with great satisfaction the counters
now cleared of "The Enigma" AMI
1ighed that his scheme had rather mis-
carried!
As for Popkin, he now began to he
busy. He had only time to nod to
Name as the closing gong rang. Pop
kin had work ahead.
Name, you're a brick" he ex-
claimed as she smiled at him
Go on; you've only begun was
her reply Yet she smiled back as
she jabbed big hatpins through her be-
piumed hat. and she swung her hand
bag at him in friendliest fashion as the
door closed on her. Popkin was sa It's
fed
Till far into the night Popkin and mis-
helpers worked. Each separate vol
ume of The Enigma" passed through
their hands. and in this handling
certain rubber stamp with large let
tiers figured mysteriously And the ad-
Vertislng manager came in for a long
talk, which resulted in increased activ-
ity in several newspaper offices in the
early morning hours.
Results showed with the dawn Each
paper carried page from the Broad
gauge, and on each was the announce
ment. in flaming letters:
"Everlastingly the Lowest. We will
not be undersold, The Enigma reg
ular price, SIPS; rivals price, $11S:
at our store only S1.13. Come early;
only few left,'
And in the windows Of the Broad
gauge and on the piles of books were
similar announcements on big signs
" The Enight, s1.13. Everlastingly
the lowest.'
Healey had severe shock when he
saw this latest move. He recognized
IN II a forcing of his hand. But 1t was
too late for retreat. He knew that his
course was plainly mapped out for him,
and he looked not back from the pillow.
Hence, it was with no surprise that
Popk1n recognized. in the rush that
ensued, the now familiar faces of Hea-
ley's aids.
The word passed quickly to the Pop
kin clan: Sell all you can to the
Bamberger crowd; sell to them in pref
erence. And the instructions were
obeyed. BY noon The Enigma was
eliminated from the Broadgauge stock.
and no more were to be had. The signs
were withdrawn. and the rush was
done
Healey grinned. He knew now that
victory was in sight-a costly victory.
1t is true, but a triumph. And he laid
his plans for the final coup. To all
the papers he telephoned:
Give me wan page" he said Put
IN 1T, right in tn middle: Git it fer
less The Enigma" here only, 81.
Come airiy in the mornin': only a few
left"''
Then he ordered similar signs placed
on all the delivery wagons, and in all
the windows. He hired sandwich
men. decorated them with placards
OF the same import, and sent them to
parade Broadway, especially in the vi
entity of the Broadgauge And final
ly, he ordered huge electric sign, that
the very darkness might he emblaz-
oned with his words. His clerks were
kept busy fer hours wrapping each
copy of The Enigma" against the
morning. And Healey went home to
sleep the sleep of the just.
Popkin alsc slept, but not till he did
two things. One was to duplicate ALI
ehO AAC1ANS dIIdIRel0enIS,
but with the mere announcement:
Read page 49, This queer statement
was in papers. on wagons. on men and
on signs, before closing time, and even
Healey had wondered at it. He de-
voured page 10 of every evening pa
per, but not a word did he see that en-
lightened him He finally resolved that
it was hoax on Popkin's part. and
let it go at that.
Popkin was summoned by Mr. MAYS
when business opened the next dav.
We'll, young man." asked the head Of
the establishment, how are we coming
out?'
Fairly well. l think. sir" was Pop
kin's modest reply. Will you see the
igures?"
Yes, let US have them"
We'll. sir, you know we had orig
inally 1000 copies of The Enigma
which cost us Il cents EACH publishers
sale price, S1.25.'
Yes; 1900 copies, at Y CENTS
Making them cost US s1.540"
Certainly"
We had sold about 700 copies up to
Monday These sir, at s125. or 1915.
have reason to believe that the bulk
of these-in fact about all-were TAX
en- by Bamberger's agents."
"Umph, Well"
''They ODened their sale will, ca