Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1908-05-21
A
Business
Engagement
(Copyrlght.)
By JOHN wORNE

pressed the dreamy and the mystical
whenever it threatened to appear.
At the right moment he discreetly
retired from business with consider
able amount of capital and became
financial magnate, with taste for
cornering articles of general consump-
ton and selling at his own price. His
"cornering'' operations had been uni
formally successful hitherto and the
power Of his capital had invariably
crushed all opposition.
1t was with light heart therefore,
that he had entered upon the task of
obtaining control of the supply of
hairpins. with the object of selling
them at big advance and bring the
womankind of the world to his feet,
1t was a stupendous scheme worthy of
his great brain.
The scheme had at first promised
we'll. He began quietly by buying up
two or three hairpin businesses and
supplying the article at a price ridicu-
lousy low, which, of course, involved
a considerable loss to himself. Each
day brought him the news of the fail
Gre of two or more firms. The market
took fright as markets do, and be-
came unsettled; hairpin stock showed
downward tendency and the time ap-
preached when Jiggins would be the
only man or woman who could lay his
hand upon hairpin.
But one morning when he sent out
a clerk with check to buy up an
other business which had collapsed,
the boy returned with the startling
news that it had already been bought
by somebody else, but the man in the
office would not say who it was Jig
gins smiled a confident smile and re-
duced the price of hairpins by another
cent per hundred and the market posi-
lively screamed with agony. He pitied
the fool who tried to make headway
against his bank account and signed a
larger check, but the boy returned
with this Also the business was not
to be had at any price. Very WELL"
thought Jiggins, I'VE shall see" and
turning to his telephone, he sent the
price of hairpins still further down all
over the country.
Next morning when he reached the
Office he was told that his unknown
competitors had made another cut in
the price of hairpins. Jiggins sat for
time stunned. If this sort of thing
We're to go on every woman would
have a stock of hairpins sufficient to
last century and his corner" would
be futile. He drew himself together
and then he gave interviews to his
&c oh uhn hn hod
able to spread a financial net over the
world. Each brought the same news:
Some secret immovable power was
meeting him at every point. Some
colossal mind, with a colossal purse
equal to his own, was quietly check
mating him wherever he turned, and
he was unable to locate it. If he could
have found an individual responsible
he would have felt less helpless.
Finally his right-hand man told him
TO try 494 Broadway, Hairpins Unlim-
ited
He jumped at the suggestion of a
definite address, which surely meant
a definite person. Putting his check
book in his pocket he hurried out and
drove to 494 Broadway, prepared to
encounter the enemy face to face. He
was himself again, smooth, diplomatic,
alert. A brass plate informed him
that Hairpins Unlimited was on the
fourth story. He went up and
knocked. A small boy opened a dingy
door and he handed him his card.
The boy went and returned.
You can have nine minutes and a
half he said. Jiggins realized that
that precision showed the presence Of
the master mind which had dared to
wrestle with his own. He followed the
boy into comfortably and daintily
furnished room. The boy placed a
chair and retired. Jiggins sat down,
There was only woman in the room
and he loked round in some surprise.
I've come to see the manager of
the company" he said.
She didn't look up, but replied
'Please wait one moment"
She went on writing and he tapped
his foot on the ground impatiently.
This was not the way he was accus-
toned to be treated
Kindly do not shuttle with your
feet" she said abruptly. He started.
MY name" he said, is Jiggins;
Josiah Jiggins."
You are expected" she said and
went on writing. Beyond that she did
not seem impressed.
After about two more minutes he
said: Il should be obliged if you
would let me know when the manager
can see me-"
Now" she replied, and looked at
him keenly.
He rose, thinking he was going to
be shown into another room.
please don't trouble to rise" she
said He sat down again, feeling
smaller than he had ever done in his
life.
This woman had an eye that
Quelled him.