Bridgeton pioneer., 1913-10-02

i chin. ARE like that wonder your sale,
are so large"
"Oh, we find persons sometimes fol
whom nothing is good enough"
Balichin was bound to go on with the
chatting till some one came in who
would buy something. The next Gus.
toner who entered asked for eggs. but
insisted on breaking one that was
offered to him to make sure that it was
fresh. and. though he found every evi.
dence that 1t was fresh, he held bis
nose, saying that 1t must have been
laid the year before and went away.
Balichn was surprised to find that
every customer who came into the
shop while he was there complained
either of the goods or Of the price. and
all went out empty handed. Toward
the last Novgorod did his best to sell
to those who came in, but they would
not listen to him.
"Well," said Balichin, ut is time to
close up. / must go back to my shop.
Come over and see me some time when
trade is dull"
That L VIII, SAID the other.
Balichin departed more puzzled than
he had been when he entered. All day
he had seen persons going into Novgo
rods store, and every customer came
out with package. He had noticed
that no package seemed light to the
carrier. and most of them were large
and always seemed to have consider.
able weight One young woman stag.
gered under her load But while be
had been in Novgorod's shop several
customers had entered and all had
gone out empty handed
Balichin after closing his shop went
upstairs Che lived over his place of
business) to supper. He told his wife
about his visit to his neighbor and the
puzzling questions concerning that
neighbor's business, ending by saying
that he believed there was a mystery
connected with Novgorod's shop.
81 will make some observations my
SELF" said the woman in a caustic tone
And she did. That night she slept
by window overlooking the shop op
posite. She was light sleeper and
would be awakened at the slightest
noise. In the morning she informed
her husband that no goods had been
delivered at the shop opposite; but.
though it had been closed all night.
with never a light to be seen on the
premises. every now and again she had
seen person emerge from it, and every
person carried q package.
"Great heavens!' exclaimed Balichin
all night too? 1t is as much as I can
do to keep up my trade during the day."
"Achw said the woman. There is
something wrong in this. Leave it to
me. You men are very stupid about
such matters"
The next evening when the butcher
went upstairs to his supper he said
to his wife, well, have you noticed
anything strange today in the shop op-
poster"
ITO be sure have. How many diff
ferent customers do you suppose Nov
gorod has?"
II don't know"
"Guess."
"a hundred?"
ga hundred! Not by any means.
Guess again."
Balichin guessed all the way down to
twenty and then, being too curious to
waste any more time guessing, begged
his wife to tell him.
"There have been seventy-two Gus
toners in the shop today and only nine
persons" said the wife.
"How do you make that out?"
mine persons have averaged going
there eight times"
"Phewr'
'There were four men. two women.
two young girls and boy"
"Well, what does ii meanT
"It means that Novgorod is playing
trick. He is making show Of doing
business. After awhile the custom
ers of the other provision dealers. see,
ing so many persons going into his
shop to buy goods. will go there. too. to
see what induces the others to buy
there The real buyers will gradually
increase. and Novgorod will eventually
absorb all the business"
"But how do you explain those leav-
ing the shop at night with bundlesT
'It is to give an impression that he
does so much business that 1t cannot
all be done in the daytime"
"You are wonderful woman at OBJ
servation," said her husband thought
fully, "but don't think much Of your
deductions"
The next day Nine. Balichin was
surprised to see a handsome carriage
with liveried coachman and footman
drive up to the shop opposite. A lady
alighted. went into the shop and in a
few minutes returned to her carriage
attended by Novgorod, who bore a
package which he handed to the foot.
man. Then the equipage drove away
Nine. Balichin ran downstairs and told
her husband that a member Of the no
bility had bought goods Of Eovgorod.
"You see that I am right" she said
"He has induced the lady to buy of
him to attract others. He will soon