The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-06-13
The EVENING STORY
Five Per Cent. Commission.

(By Lawrence Alfred Clay.)
Miss Maggie Raines and her mother
sat facing each other and saying
never word. They had talked all
there was to talk. They had tears in
their eyes as they talked.
For a year past Maggie had had
steady place as a stenographer at S12
per week, and she had done wonders
with her salary; rent, fuel provisions,
clothing and car fare, and they did
not owe a dollar. The average work
ing girl is twice the financier that the
average working man is.
Things had gone very we'll with the
little family, but now trouble had
days notice. She wasn't despairing.
but discouraged. She knew all about
answering advertisements and tramp
ing from office to office. 1t might
again, and what of the income?
Down at the corner where the girl
had taken the car every morning and
left it every evening, was a real es-
dle-aged man, and he looked to be
good man. That is, he seemed to
Maggie to have an honest face. and
she thought there might be sym
pathy there for one in trouble. She
didn't want charity, and she didn't
want pity. She wanted a chance to
help herself, just as 1t would be CIV
en- to young man.
'fWell?" queried the mother after a
long silence.
smart as most other girls" was the re-
ply. zone of our stenographers quit
her place two months ago and went
to selling real estate on commission
She has made a hundred dollars
week"
"Just think of that. Maggiei"
st am thinking of it. In the morn
ing I am going down to have talk
with the real estate man on the corner.
If can make s25 week it will be
great thing"
But how does any one sell real es-
tate. dear?"
IT don't exactly know, but I guess
most of it is done by talk. You make
a person think he wants to buy. and
and then keep at him until he does
''Well, you have a coaxing way with
you. You got the landlord to come
down five dollars a month on the
rent, and the grocer will sell you
pound of prunes a cent cheaper than
he will me-
Next morning Maggie Raines visited
the real estate office. Mr.. Stryker
had just opened his mail and seemed
tention. In an embarrassed way, and
yet with underlying confidence, she
said she believed she could sell real
estate, and she wanted a chance to
try. Mr.. Stryker didn't smile doubht-
fully nor sarcastically. He had been
trying to sell real estate for a good
many years, and had had poor luck at
it, but he didn't even ask himself how
young Stehographer who didn't know
the value of a load of sand was going
to make a success sat it. He gave a
minute or two to thought and then
replied:
st will give you a chance, and
splendid one. I own 80 acres of timber
land at Walnut Point, on Lake Huron.
/ have about closed a deal with party
in Buffalo. In fact, the deed is made
out, and if handed to him the money
would be passed.
And you are going there to close the
deal?' Miss Maggie asked.
81 was, but my wife has been taken
seriously i'll and cannot leave her. ]
can give you power of attorney and
send you, if you can go this evening
and close the affair tomorrow. I will
pay your expenses and give you per
cent commission. You will net $3.50 for
three days work.
''Oh, Mr.. Stryker, but that's too much
altogether too much" exclaimed the
asstonished girl. "I'll be glad to go for
$50"
your commission will be the sum
have named. You will take along the
deeds and a letter from me. You will.
of course, say that you are connected
with this office. You can say that
other parties are after the land. If
asked about my standing you can say
it is of the highest. You can say that
on a part of the land is a quarry of
purest granite that when developed
will be worth twenty times my asking
price for the land. i have been told
that the walnut trees alone on the land
are worth half the price. and you can
mention that incidentally. You must
talk. Miss Raines-you must talk"
IT certainly will"
"And bring back q certified check
for the amount. Make the party I'M
derstand that he is getting the bargain
Of his life, and that / am selling more
to accommodate him than for any 9TH
reason. John D. Rockefeller would
snap up Walnut Point in a minute at
the price asked, but have refused to
deal with him. You may have seen
him here at the door of the office the
other day? You had best be ready to
take the o'clock train"
There was rejoicing in the house of
Raines. The sale was sure to go
through and that $3.50 would solve
many. problems. It would be a starter
for other sales, and after a bit Miss
Maggie might be riding around in her
own auto to hunt up customers. She
rode all night, but she didn't sleep a
wink. Over and over-a hundred times
oversize repeated her lesson, and
after her arrival and breakfast in Buff
falo she sought the office of Mr.. George
McLane with the utmost confidence
She hadn't been told whether he was
old or young. but she had imagined 1
white hair and chin whiskers and a
benign countenance.
She was therefore surprised to be
ushered into an office where sat a
young man of less than %, who had
half a dozen letters from the morning
mail before him. No chin whiskers-
no benign! A very keen, good-looking
man called him and ba
suddenly found that she had tempof-
arily forgotten even her own name. He
opened two more letters to give her d
chance to get her memory back, and
then she began on her first real estate
sale. Yes. Mr.. McLane. had had soma
Walnut Point. Yes, he had about de-
cif1ed To close the deal Yes he had