Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-10-24
ARE you A COWARD?
YOU CAN MAKE GOOD
BY Jonas Howard.

Griffin was sitting in a darx corner
of the office waiting for the time when
..rig Chief and explain just why he
didn't make that sale. Griffin did not
know just what 10 say He had run
out of his usual stock of and
now there must he a new n
Come to think OF it. why had he
not mad the ale AS far as he could
see he had made every effort. Tie
ali there Was to it. He could not knock
him down with a sledgc hammer and
sell him brooms while he was uncon-
~scious.
Griffin stirred in his seat. This was
Il rotten business. anyway There was
slant pleading. haggling Griffin
scowled a little n clasped his hands.
He was beginning not to.care whether
he made any explanation to the big
chief. The office boy walked past
him.
'I4ow long will he be busy?n Grif-
"About 10 minutes" came the an
SWer.
Quotation Made Him Think.
Griffin settled farther down In his
chair to wait. His eyes began to travel
a bit. They spied q small pamphlet OH
a nearby table. A moment Of lazy
uncertainty and then Griffin picked up
the pamphlet. 1T was a little advec-
Using booklet. filled with quotations
that might be used at banquets. Al
Griffin turned the pages, one OF the
sayings caused hin. to stop and to
read again.
Instinct is Il great master: was
a coward on instinct -Shakespeare
again IN the table. Something, u.
strange something, too. seemed to have
swept into his heart and found q lodg-
ing place there. A coward on instinct
could that be meant for him? A
coward on instinct.
He began to hin about himself.
Why HAD he made a practical failure
at being II salesman? Honestly, now,
WAS 1T not because. even before he had
seen his man he had believed that he
would not be able to make the sale.
to convince the buyer that he needed
the goods? Truly. now, vas that not
it? Griffin saw that 1t was. He saw
only as work, that he had not put
his heart into it, that he had not i'm
planted that natural instinct, SO much
needed. in it.
He had tina: instinct. he knew he
had it. Yet he had allowed coward
ice. mental c~owardice. to intervene
and cripple il. The office boy, COM
ing out of the inner room, started a
bit To see Griffin sitting tense-faced at
the table. his hands gripping, his eyes
staring into faraway nothing.
MIR. Hastings is ready to see you"
the boy broke in. Griffin rose and fol-
lowed into the room where the white
desk with his glasses.
"Well?' asked the employer in "A
that betokened he knew Il
threadbare excuse was to follow. Crit
fin hesitated. Then:
There's no GUS for his thing. Mr..
Hastings. simply because ! haven't fin
working on that man. He's go
ing to buy. I'm sure of that-and I'm
going to sell HIM"
Determined to Sell, and Did.
Ten minutes later he was hurrying
him now and uppermost. He felt "a
now. He woul not allow
the thought of failure 10 enter his
brain. He had been a coward before
but all that was over. He entered the
store of the prospective buyer and
smiled at h frown which greeted
him.
but I don't want"
Yes. YOU do. Now. look here" t;rif-
FIN S tongue was going fast. The feel
ing of the hunter had taken possession
OF him. That me needed ~stock-and
ne also needed to be convinced. He was
headstrong:: that must be overcome.
Griffin started out to- accomplish it.
Three hours later he strolled jauntily
into the office and told the boy he
wanted to see Mr.. Hastings at once.
Il just got a double order for luck
he announced with a little smile. "Old
a rather tough nut to convince.
so thought I'd do all I could while
the selling was good,
And then
Well. you guessed the rest. Griffin.
the man who was once a. coward and
found his instinct. is the star of
1.-THE bunch now.
~
NsL.A