Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-23
The Argus Daily Story
My Competitor-By Philip Bosworth.
Copyrighted 1912. by Associated Literary Bureau


of Guuter's soap into Green's pond and
the latter. breaking on the shore. would
be quite equal to any sea foam.
What was my surprise, after my
caution. to see few days After this in
sertion a notice in a Millvile paper
that the agent of Guntcr's soap at
Farnsworth had by mistake got hold OF
cake of Southwicks soap and wash
ed himself out of business
This was too much. 1t was false.
malicious announcement At any rate.
many matter OF fact people would
so construe It l drove over to Mill
Vile resolved to put stop to this libel
Gus way of competing for trade and
straight to Ketcham's office, l found
the same girl there as before.
where's Ketcham?" ] inquired i'm
| patiently.
What can do for you? I'm In
charge"
You can say to him that one mora
notice in a newspaper rejecting on me
or the article sell aud l shall at once
begin suit for damages"
How much will they beT"
How much2 Why. shall sue for
for perhaps as much as $4,000"
That would be awful | doubt IL
Mr. Ketcham could pay all that"
81 didn't say would be allowed that
sum by the court l said l would sue
for that amount"
"Oh! Well. I'll tell him"
l stood looking at the girl As
have said before. she was stupid look
ing. but pretty. l should have girl
like that in my place of business; 1t
would enable me to get out more to
drum up business.
do you know" l asked, "of any
young woman who would like a posi-
ton with me at Farnsworth such as
you have here with Mr.. KetchamT
what would be the salaryP'
I could make 1t S12 week"
She sat thinking awhile, then asked:
How would you like to take over Mr..
Ketcham's stock and run your and his
business together? l think he'd like
to SELL"
For how muchY
"He might turn over the stock that
he holds as agent and sell the good
will of the business for, say, $1,000"
Two thousand dollars was a good
deal, but he had worked up quite
trade. and IL I should buy him out l
l would have the field to myself. said
| would think it over. | went back to
: Farnsworth and considered the matter
exclusively. Somehow l had taken a
: fancy to Ketcham's clerk and believed
that she would be a great advantage
+ to me. Whenever | had gone to Mill
vile | had found Ketcham out work
ing up trade. while | spent most of my
L time in my shop. Finally l wrote
Ketcham that | would give him $1,000
s for the good will of his business and
u take his clerk at salary of So a
s week BY return mail | got papers
3 assigning me his business and tele-
+ gram from his principals appointing
me their agent in his place. l sent a
u check to his order for the purchase
q money and asked him to ship his stock
N and send his clerk to me.
q The stock arrived in due time. then
+ the girl.
II well. Miss / began and waited
n for her to fill in her name.
"Ketcham."
ar Are you a sister Of Mr.. Ketcham'sY'
p No"
e Amy relation"
% NO"
10 what are your initialsT"
r "F. B."
THE dickensT
r. Her hitherto sober face broke into a
D. smile
u 81 suppose may as well confess
now as at any time. I've been running
the business over there and at loss
!" There's room for only one. and that one
~ can't stay indoors and keep shop. He
or she must he out cnnvusSing all the
Is while. Siuce your first visit | have
i been aiming to sell to you. You can
- now be ont all the while, and / will
. run the business inside | would rath
> err have SI2 week than be running
= behind"
And you've been smart enough 10
. get $1,000 out of me for a losing bust.
ncssT'
> oh. you mustn't look AT 1t in that
way. I've sold YOU the field"
70 And your ability as an advertise
- ment writer"
n I'll do what can for you in thai
.. line"
And she did | decided TO concen
trate on Gunter's soap. and so ingen
d, iOus were Miss Ketcham's ads. that bJ
~ constant canvaSsing ! did remarka bly,
N well. My assistant kept on developing
in her ability to write original adver
tisements. and they came to he looked
no for as funny matter. This didn't d.
as the sales of soap any harm. Indeed. /
pr quadrupled the value of the ads. ri
"a nally. discovering that to part will
my ad writer would he to give up tn
IN greater part OF my business. married
her. AT the time Of the wedding som
wac of a reporter gave m account 0
II. it under the caption, The Bachelor
hood Washed Out of a Man by Gun
ID. ter's Soap"
Id a M "a - a Yv,o-ioo-