Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-06-20


" *
represented a cost price of thirteen
dollars and fifty cents, and a selling
price of seventeen dollars. And once
they knew the code-word, the Nc
Geary family almost lived in the fur
niture store, learning just how much
Mr.. Brandt would make off the sale
of each table and chair.
When John Walters, Harold's sue
cessor, had served long enough to
prove himself thoroughly trust
worthy, Mr.. Brandt told him the story
of the code-word.
"RamAmher, John, that Won held
this position simply because another
young man could not keep business
secrets. Now you and | must remark
every piece of furniture in the house
with a new code-word. "
They chose another word from a
list commonly used by merchants for
that purpose, and had, between Gus
toners, changed the tags on part of
the stock when, during Mr.. Brandt's
lunch-hour, Harold McGeary saun-
tered 10, and planted himself in a
Morris,chair for a chat with John.
Glanciug casually at the price tag on
the chAir-arm, he became suddenly
curious. and reached for the tag on
the nest chair and the next.
"Ahn, you're changing from Wash
ingtox.'
John was non-committal. -
"Oh. you can't fool me, went on
the astute Harold. i've studied
code-words too long"
"Yes, you have" assented John,
dryly.
Codes aren't hard to read" ran
on Harold, sweetly ignorant of Johns
intended sarcasm. why, got on to
Sissop'S word-'Black Horse'-before
l worked there half day."
Working there now?" asked John.
"No, l quit" John smiled at the
word quit" But l was just going
to say, figured out Luck Brothers
mark Just by studying few tags in
the window. Their word s."
"NeVer mind, don't want to know
it," sain John, with something in his
quiet tane that made the other flush.
why, what's the harm? And
then rs interesting to know how
much fellow sticks you for what
you buy"
"The harm is just this: a clerk
who gises away business secret of
his employer"
20 hosh! Business secrets! Be
sides, so far as Lucks code is con-
cerned, 1 wasn't trusted with that.
just got it by using my eyes and doing
a little clever detective work. You
can read any code-word. There are
only ten letters. It's no trick at all
to figurn them out"
He sPrang up, looked at the marks
on half dozen articles, smiled tri-
umphantly, and said, You're going
to try Franz Sigel, eh? told you
[ could lind out. | know that whole
list in Brandt's desk, from o AK
minister down to First Kodak.
What do you think of that?"
81 don't believe you can decipher
good CODE" stoutly affirmed John.
You just find one can't. I'll get
your word before I've been in this
store fifteen minutes"
Which is just where you will not
be fifteen minutes longer!" broke in
Mr.. Brandt, who had entered unob.
served in the heat OF the discussion.
Il tell you plainly to leave this store
and to keep away. Good day, sir!"
Mr.. Brandt, discouraged with this
second undoing of their work. was for
dropping the buying-price mark alto
gether, yet did not wish to make such
a change in his business system
"You see," he said, II can very
we'll close my door against the whole
McGeary family. In a town of this
size any such trouble is unpleasant
to say the least And as sure as we
change to another word, they will be
here reading the tags inside the store.
and Harold will take in those in the
window. See il he doesn't. It's no
use."
"Stlll, wish We could try Just once
more" urged John. "We can fool
them, / believe, if we plan 1t right"
His employer agreed. John did
some hard thlRking, and the next