The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-13
The EVENING Story
Universal Furnisrers (Ine.l

OF d piece OF early japanese pottery
just tell us what you want and Wen
get it.
OUR PRICES ARE MERELY
NOMINAL.
What you want furnished when you
want It, Give US a trial.
UNIVERSAL FURNISHERS (ENC.)
That's the ad that'n bring 'em!''
Sam Culberson, the aged president and
practically sole owner of Universal
Furnishers (Inc.)," spread the morn
ing paper before him on his handsome
new desk and leaned back in his rich
ly upholstered new chair. He ran his
hands through his scant locks, screwed
up his far from handsome face and
winksd at sallie Jordan, his pretty
stenographer.
''This'n be the best little graft I
ever worked"
Sallie looked far from pleased at
this announcement. Sam laughed
loudly at her expression.
My dear GIRL there was vast
condescension in his voice, 81 call ev-
erything do graft There's moth
ing wrong about this scheme. You
needn't feel at all worried, even if you
have got one share of stock and even
if you are one of the incorporators.
Neither does Bill, the office boy, need
to feel worried, though he's got share
and is also one of the incOrpOrators. |
NO one n06Q 160l WOLIISQs OSCdQSC
this business is going t be fair and
above board, and it'll be about the only
square thing I've been in for twenty
years"
then % Sallie spoke timidly. She was
fresh from a business college and this
was her first position
II call everything a 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 profess |
sioral getter to get them will pay
almost any price if the getter is sue |
cessfuI- That's where the graft comes
in. All, Sallie, it will be wonderful
what prices we can charge our dear |
custom ers and still get away with it.
"But you say our prices are nom1- |
nal - Sallie's voice indicated her in
dignation.
my dear little church-worker, our
prices are nominal comparatively
nominal. We will scale them nicely |
to what our customers think the thing
we get for them is worth. Now it's all
fair and square-just forget your Pur- |
itan conscience for time. I'd hate
to have one of my feliow-l ncorpora- !
tors out of sympathy with the plans of
the business. All, here's our first
batch of mall
sam took the three letters extended |
to him by the postman and opened |
them rapidly. 1t took him but mo- |
ment to digest their contents.
ssTVhree orders already, Sallie. That's
fine Well just stop advertising I'M |
til we get these orders out of the way |
1t would never do to burden the com |
pany with too much business at the |
start. Here's man in room al
that's on the third floor-of the Port |
land flats. 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 |
Ifa11 Z vii
son, GIT Jefferson street. Rudolph !
wants a key that will open six-by-
four trunk used by his grandmother. |
That's explicit, isn't it? Guess / bet |
ter 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 representa-
tive of the company. 1 tell you what, /
Sallie, you go 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 good fee |
from him-that's the important part |
you know-a big fee"
Sallie was inwardly rebellious at be- |
ing connected with any concern which
even savored of graft, but she was
exceedingly anxious to make a little |
money by working in an office, SO
she had no thoughts of resigning.
After all the business was really le
ultimate, and for her part she decided
as she walked toward Ernest Ran
dolph's address she would charge
nothing but perfectly honest, mod
crate fee.
When SaIlie returned to the office
she found Sam sprawled back in his
chair and looking the picture of de-
ssrhis is the limit" Sam fired the
remark to her the moment she enter
ed the room. Here I've fncorporat-
ed for $1,000 and really put 5000 in
the company, which I've put into office
furniture, and now it looks like 1 was
up against a brick wall This thing
it would. Now you'd think it wouldn't
be such a laundering hard job to find
a hat worn by an American soldier
in the revolutionary war and the Key
to six-by-four trunk which mans
grandm other used and which he
doesn't want to break, but which, also,
yet once more, he wants to find out
what's inside of it. But let me tell
one deuce of job. If L charge these
what their jobs are really
worth I'll put both of EN- in the
court. 1 don't believe I'll
ever be able to find what they want.
The business is on the blink. This
concern will never be able to find any
one what they want. =
Sallie's b1usl1ing smile stopped him.
You don't mean that your client
had something easy2' Sans ejacuIa-
ton was an incredulous burst of Joy.
Yes. SaIl1e dImpIed and pushed
and smiled. HE only wants "a
Don't tell mel" Sam stopped her
with an appraised hand. IF you told
me, I'd queer it. You go ahead and
fill the order and I'll give you half
the fee. You make me hope again.
Perhaps I can get hat and trunk
key that will fill the bills, after ALL"
For four more days Sallie saw but
little of Sam. She was buy with her
client. Ernest Randolph, and she sup
posed her employer to be busy with !
his clients. At the end Of q week she
- HI 4 ,