The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-10-26
Five Per Cent
Commission
By LAWRENCE ALFRED CLAY

10y LA w oA4AA
Copyright. 1911. by Associated Literary Press0
Miss Maggie Raines and her mother
sat facing each other and saying never
a word. They had talked for an hour.
They had talked all there was to talk.
They had tears in their eyes as they
talked
For year past Maggie had had
steady place as a stenographer at $l2
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 working
girl Is twice the financier that the
average working man Is.
Things had gone very well with the
little family, but now trouble had
come. Maggie had lost her place at a
days notice. She wasn't despairing,
but discouraged. She knew all about
answering advertisements and tramp.
ing from office to office. 1t might be
weeks before she was settled again.
and what of the income?
Down at the corner where the girl
had taken the car every morning and
left 1t every evening, was real es-
tate Office. The proprietor was a mid
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 sympathy
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 it would be gwen to a young
man.
"Well?" queried the mother after
long silence
Il was wondering If was as smart
as most other girls" was the reply.
Zone of our stenographers quit her
place two months ago and went to
selling real estate on commission. She
has made hundred dollars week"
Just think OF that, Maggie!"
II am thinking of it. In the morn
ing l am going down to have talk
with the real estate man on the cor
ner If can make s25 week it will
be great thing"
But how does any one sell real es-
tate, dear?"
Il don't exactly know, but l guess
most of 1t is done by talk. You make
a person think he wants to buy, and
then keep at him until he does buy"
well, you have coaxing way
about you You got the landlord to
come down five dollars a month on
the rent, and the grocer will sell you
pound of prunes cent cheaper than
he will me-
Next morning Maggie Raines Wis
tied the real estate office Mr. Stryker
had just opened his mail and seemed
perturbed. but he gave her his atten-
ton. In an embarrassed way, and yet
with underlying confidence, she said
she believed she could sell real estate,
and she wanted chance to try. Mr..
Stryker didn't smile doubtfully nor
sarcastically. He had been trying to
sell real estate for good many years.
and had had poor luck at 1t, but he
didn't even ask himself how a young
stenographes who didn't know the
value OF load of sand was going to
make a success at it. He gave a
minute or two to thought and then re-
piled:
Il will give you a chance, and a
splendid one. / own 80 acres of tim
Der 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 are you going there to close
The deal?" Miss Maggie asked
Il 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 csbse the affair tomorrow | will
pay your expenses and give you five
per cent commission. You will net
$3.50 for three days work"
"Oh. Mr. Stryker. but that's too
claimed the astonlshed girl I'll be
glad to go for $50"
your commission will be the sum
| have named. You will take along
the deeds and letter from me- You
will, of course, say that you are con-
nected with this office You can say
that other parties are after the land
If asked about my standing you can
say 1t is of the highest You can say
that on part of the land is a quarry
of purest granite that when developed
will be worth twenty times my asking
price for the land. | 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"
81 certainly will
And bring back a certified check
for the amount Make the party un-
derstand that he is getting the bargain
of his life. and that am selling more
to accommodate him than for any
other reason. John D. Rockefeller
would snap up Walnut Point in a
minute at the price asked, but l 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 four o'clock