Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-07-12

| me. i've got 10 meet q man and IL
means work for me If I am we'll dress
ed. I'd like you to fit me out. At the
end of the week I'll come in and pay
buy two more suits, q light overcoat
and an overcoat. How about it?"
The wind was knocked out of him.
He stared wild-eyed at me for a mo-
ment, then he asked, What Is this,
a touch for a suit?"
| 1T is" l admitted candidly. I'm
not begging, borrowing or stealing the
suit. I'm simply getting it a week
ahead of time on my nerve"
He eyed me up and down, sideways
and backways, through and through,
/, said finally, but not with a good
suit"
| Not an expensive suit" interject-
ed but make it a good one, or I'll
| give my trade to another tailor"
And we both laughed.
| He got out a business suit he could
sell for SIS and make living profit on
and handed 1t to me. I retired and
put it on.
"A splendid ft," said, but you
forgot to put a handkerchief in the
pocket"
you're nervy all right" he remark
ed. I don't suppose I'll ever see you
again."
| / told him my name, once more
promising him good order in the next
year, and then departed. had wiped
my shoes with my old clothes and
they looked fairly we'll. In fact,
was quite pleased with myself as I
strolled out in search Of a job.
No sooner had I turned q corner
than l heard a man and a woman
his wife, suppose talking about
clothes. He was going to buy a suit,
but was undecided where to go. I
sprang into the breach.
Pardon me-" 1 said, but I just
heard you. I'm not barker or pull
ler-in, but a friend of mine just did
me a good turn and I'd like to send
trade his way. He keeps good clothes
and sells moderately. OF course, you
don't have to go there, but why not
give him a look in? You won't have
to buy"
1 had taken his arm and was direct
ing him to the store had just left.
The proprietor was In the doorway. I
parted from the couple, and went on
my way in search Of work. / got four
consecutive turndowns fatty admins
tered, the fifth request met with an
appointment the next morning. the
/ sixth was lucky strike-temporarily
They needed some one to run Off a
bunch of letters on the mimeograph.
There was only rs cents In 1t, I was
told. The money looked good to me,
and I did the work, which lasted two
hours.
1t was then noon. I bought a ten
cent hot meal, a ten-cent collar and a
five-cent made-up bow necktie. Then,
after putting them on, I was on my
way again.
Accidentally I passed the shop of
my friend the tailor. He saw me smil-
ed and beckoned.
Your friend bought a suit" he told
me.
He wasn't a friend of mine. just
advised him to come here, that's all.
Glad you made a SALE"
He said he'd been told to come here
I'm much obliged to you. Will you let
your commission be taken off the price
Of the suit you are wearing, or have a
pair of shoes or a hat?"
Commission? I didn't do 1t for
commission; just to throw trade your
way. But IL it's coming, I'll take a
pair Of shoes-I take off my hat when
I'm asking for work. Besides, I've got
half a dollar and l might be able to
buy one for that"
/ He said 1t was time for his lunch
con, so he'd go out and buy me some
shoes. We came to hat store and en-
i tered.
Charlie" said the tailor "as your
hats cost you about 81 a dozen, could
you afford to sell this gentleman one
for so cents? I'll call 1t giving me the
discounts"
The halter grinned. Pick out your
shape" he said, land tell me your
size"
Five minutes later I was trying on a
pair of shoes, a rah-rah hat Of the
mode was perched on my head, and
when, with my brogans cast aside and
my new shoes on, / quit the premises
l was a changed man from the morn
ing. But, as was the case earlier, l
was broke.
Nothing is impossible; take that
from me. Yet find 1t almost impos-
sible to write out my yarn 80 that 1t
carries the credence it deserves. New
Workers. are so accustomed to pam
handling ne'er- do wells that they
think-if they give thought to the
matter at all-it is beyond the power
of any of them to raise themselves to
a level Of respectability. That Is the
barrier my narrative must batter down
before my tale Is credited; for, you
see, I anticipate skepticism. The
world Is as full Of it today as when
Columbus declared the earth to be
round.
Here I was, garbed, but penniless I
would have taken any kind Of a job,
from carrying an advertising banner
along Nassau street to the acting pres
idency Of a trust company. While /
was thinking about this and wonder
ing where next my nerve was to be
displayed l stood in the lobby of
office building. I stood in the lobby of
an office building. A man showed
against me as an excuse to talk. He
was a sorehead. I've met his kind in
many towns. He was pessimist, with
a turned down mouth and tale of
woe. Under his arm was a small pile
Of books.
Rotten business, this book selling"
he volunteered.
80? What's there to it?"
Been two weeks without sale."
Whats the book "
i He showed me. I'm not advertising
them here, but they looked good to
me.
What dye get for selling them?"
queried.
"a five-spot. Looks easy "Tain't."
l pricked up my ears. I asked ques-
tions about the books I found out all
he knew of them and the terms of sale.
why" said l, Il could sell ten sets
Of them a day."
Sell one set in the next two hours
and I'll divide up with you," he re-
piled. He had his nerve there, all
right, but as my hook was no good
without his bait, nodded my head.
Watch me- 1 said, and took his
books.
Now, If there's one man who's up
against it it's a book agent. Nobody
loves a book agent-and they're usu-
ally unmarried, too. Nobody, will
spare time to talk to him, and all
doors are closed to him. l figured
that If could get away with the book
agent game l would have proved my
nerve to myself, besides corraling
$3.50.
I'm going to try Smith, the paper
man." l said, looking over the direc-
tory of the building
Il tried him." snapped the pessi-
mist; there's nothin' doin.'"
Watch me-" / said again.
Smith, the paper man, was busy. He
didn't want the books, had no time to
look at 'em. had no use for 'em any
way. But Smith, the paper man, did
buy 'em, because I proved he wanted