The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1911-04-13
BEING
BUSINESSLIKE


When the delivery nan had peck
eted his bullying book and gone pound
ing on his way. the Oldest daughter of
the house shrugged her pretty shout
ders and returned to her guest in the
parlor.
Business is great fraud" she de-
clared
I've always said So" responded her
friend with some emphasis.
'T've Just signed an expressman's
book to show that I've received some
thing" the daughter of the house ex-
planned, Nov, why sign? don't
know what's in that box. It's large
and heavy, but 1t may be empty. And
yet delivery man would drop dead
II you stopped to look inside before
you signed. No one ever does"
Certainly not" said her friend,
warmly. That would be quite un-
professional. What that box contains
in a small matter. after all. The
point is, did 1t come? When you are
as old as am, my dear you will be-
gin to understand low many yards Of
red tape men need to be truly bust
nesshke. They put up an appearance
of great caution"
''And do the saddest things ever
heard of"
Exactly. Leases that everybody
| breaks"
Checks that any one can cash"
Contracts that no one pays any at.
tention to-"
Deposit slips that you always
lose"
any one may be the bearer-and cards
not transferable"
adele, I'm SO glad to hear you
speak so" cried the hostess. "I've al
ways believed that business was so
much pretense."
"a most cursory knowledge of busi-
ness methods--improperly so called
shows how shallow they are"
I'm so glad you feel as l do, Adele.
It's such a comfort to hear you ex-
press those convictions. Father has
always scolded US girls for not being
businesslike, and I've always tried to
conceal my ignorance more or less. 1t
seemed such matter for scorn."
"Scorn? My dear" said her friend
in tone of finality, business Is in
compatible with high thinking"
adele" said the girl suddenly, how
do you send money. :"
Seal it up" snapped her friend.
How else?"
"You darling! OF course how else!
But as long as l can remember, when
ever we sealed up money in an envel-
ope and father found II out he would
throw up his hands and implore the
fates to help us. Then he has gone
about for days after. uttering instruc-
tions about money orders and regis
tered letters! But neither Ethel nor
had ever paid any attention to him
until last summer when l went to the
country. 1t was very funny.
81 had been away only short time
when Ethel wrote in a rather superior
tone that she had sent me registered
letter for $40. Just as II she had been
in the habit of doing those things ev-
cry day of her life! The money didn't
surprise me, you know, because she
owed 1t to me. But registered letter
sounded entirely too ambitious for our
little Ethel.
well, | went down to the postoffice
every day for a week, insisting that
there was registered letter for me.
The postofflce there was poor excuse
of a place, and 1t had lot Of suspi-
cious looking clerks. So when my let.
ter was overdue just drew myself up
and insisted that the letter was there.
and so was the money. But they did
not seem greatly excited.
1.-THE people of the town began to
interest themselves In my financial
condition. 1t was rumored that | was
expecting a lot of money that hadn't
come, so had to spend money lavish,
ly to show that didn't really need 1t,
Then | wrote Ethel that something
was wrong. And didn't hint that 1t
served her right.
Her next letter was suitably hum.
BILE. She couldn't understand what
was the matter, but she inclosed lit,
tie paper, which, she said, the man al
the postofice had given her as a re.
ceipt for her money She said she had
given my name and address quito
plainly and she suggested that II
showed the receipt they might be able
to trace the letter. So down went to
the postoffice with the little paper.
there's the receipt l said. Then
Adele, you never heard such noise az
those crazy men made. You'd have
thought they had been saving up that
guffaw for the best part of their lives.
"As soon as they could frame words
they asked me in sort Of chorus what
/ wanted. Naturally. l told them, when
my sister had given my address and
paid her money she expected that II
would be sent to me. / can't tell you
all they said. They showed me all the
reading matter on that paper. which
was enough to drive any one insane.
"But 1t seems, Adele. that after Civ.
ing your money to the clerk at the
postofice you have to send ON the lit
tie receipts yourself and put the per-
son that gets 1t to the trouble OF hav.
ing 1t made back into money again
Gould anything be more roundabout?
"Then you haven't seen the new
forms for money orders?"
Don't tell me-"
sn ..,onBt nxIy ndAnH aa,ne.