The Red Cloud chief., 1912-02-22

No matter whether It's an ant.eater
or = piece Of early Japanese pottery
Just tell us what you want and well
get II.
OUR PRICES ARE MERELY
NOMINAL.
what you want furnished when you
want II. Give us a trial.
UNIVERSAL FURNISliERS uNC)
THAT the ad thatll bring em!"
Sam Culbertson. the aged president
and practically sole owner Of uni.
versal Furnishers Onc)." spread
the morning paper before him on his
handsome new desk and leaned back
In his richly upholstered new chair
tie ran his hands through his scant
locks. screwed up his far from hand
some face and winked at Sallie Jor.
dan. his pretty stenographer.
"This'll be the best little graft
ever worked"
Sallie looked far from pleased at
this announcement Sam laughed
oudly at her expression.
MY dear girl" there was vast
condescension In his voice. II call
everything do graft There's
nothing wrong about the scheme.
You needn't feel at all worried, even
II you have got one share Of stock
and even II you are one Of the incor-
porators. Neither does Bill. the OF,
flee boy. need to feel worried. though
he's got share and Is also one OF the
n ~ TO- M
worried. because this business Is 60
ing to be fair and above board. and
It'll be about the only square thing
I've been in for 20 years"
But why do you call 1t a graft
:hen?" Sallie spoke timidly. She was
'resh from a business college and this
was her first position.
Il call everything graft. but that
word Is good In this case. because It
will be something Of graft In the
prices ! charge the customers. You
see, people who are so anxious to get
things that they will employ a pro.
fessional getter to get them, will pay
almost any price II the getter Is sue
cessful. That's where the graft comes
In. All. Sallie. 1t will be wonderful
what prices we can charge our dear
customers and still get away with It,"
But you say our prices are nomi.
nall" Sallie's voice indicated her In.
dignation.
my dear little church.worker. our
prices are nominal--camparatively
nominal. We will scale them nicely
to what our customers think the
thing we get for them is worth. Now
its all fair and square-1ust forget
your Puritan conscience for time
I'd hate to have one OF my fellow
incorporators out OF sympathy with
the plans of the business. All. here's
our first batch OF mail"
Sam took the three letters extended
to him by the postman and opened
them rapidly. 1t took him but a mo.
ment to digest their contents.
Three orders already, Sallie.
That's fine. Well Just stop adver.
tising until We get these orders out
of the way. 1t would never do to
burden the company with too much
business at the start. Here's a man
In room 314-that's on the third floor
of the Portland fats. He's making
a collection Of hats and he wants one
worn by an American soldier IN
the Revolutionary war Hum. that
ought to be easy. Here's another.
from Rudolph Erickson. GIT Jefferson
street. Rudolph wants key that will
open a six.by.four trunk used by bis
grandmother. That's explicit. isn't It?
Guess | better call him up and get
fuller details-he gives his telephone
number. And here's the third one
some fellow by the name OF Ernest
Randolph. Ernest will not confide his
desire to his letter: he wants to see
a representative of the company.
tell you what. Sallie, you 60 up and
see Ernest. I'll be SO busy with these
two other cases that I won't have
time to work him for graft. Be sure
and get a good fee from him-thats
the important part you know-a big
fee"
Sallie was inwardly rebellious a,
being connected with any concern
which even savored OF graft. but she
was exceedingly anxious to make q
little money by working In an ofiice
so she had no thoughts OF resigning
After all, the business was really 10
Ultimate, and for her part she decided
as she walked toward Ernest Ran
dolph's address she would charge
nothing but a perfectly honest. mod
crate fee.
When Sallie returned to the ofiice
she found Sam sprawled back In bis
chair and looking the picture OF dc
spondency.
This is the limit" Sam fired the
remark at her the moment she en-
tered the room. Here I've incor
porated for $1,000 and really put $20(
ia the company. which I've put into
office furniture. and now It looks like
| was up against brick wall This
thing isn't going to go so well as
thought 1t would. Now you'd think
II wouldn't be such a laundering hard
lob to find hat worn by an Ameri
can soldier In the Revolutionary wal
Il. 81. Ne..