The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-07-25


leans or American methods, and he
made his dislike apparent by sealing his
lips. Mitchell played upon hic vanity
at first but the man was like wood
Once The salesman saw this he built
fire under him. He grflled everything
British. the people. their social Gus
toms. their business methods, even
English engineers. and he did II In a
most annoying manner. Mr.. Dell began
to perspire. He worked dogsedly on for
q while: then he arose In defense OF
his country. whereupon Mitchell artful-
ly shifted his attack 10 English steel
mills. The other refuted his statements
fatty. At length. the engineer became
soaded into anger. he became ioqus-
cious.
When Louis Mitchell flung himself
into the dark body of his cab. late that
evening. his legs knee deep In those
hateful blueprints. he blessed that en-
gineer. for Dell had told him all that
he wished to know, all he had tried 50
vainly to discover through over sources.
The average overhead in British
mills was 80 per cent. and Dell knew!
The young man laughed HISTORICALLY,
a half fearful hiccough of triumph To-
morrow at 1910! II was nearly over.
He would be ready. And as he .oiled
back inertiy upon the cushions he
unused deamily that he had not done SO
badly In less than two weeks. among
an alien people and under. strange con-
ditions. without acquaintance or pull or
help Of any sort, he had learned the
names of his. competitive frms. the
dates Of their bids. and the market
prices ruling on every piece OF steel In
the Krugersdorpf job az such times. He
had learned the rules governing English
labor. unions, he knew all about piece
work and time work. hxed charges and
shop costs. together with the ability Of
every plant figuring on the Robinson
Ray contract to turn out the work in
the necessary time. An this. and more.
he had discovered honestly. legitimate
ly. without cost to his own commercial
honor. Henceforth that South African
contract depended merely upon his own
ability TO add. subtract and multiply
correctly. II was his just as surely as
two and two make four-for salesman
ship Ii an exact science,
The girl would be very glad, he
thought. yet she could never know the
strain IT had been.
Again, through the slow. silent hours
of that Wednesday night. he fought on
his death-like WEAKNESS. and went over
his figures carefully. There was no
error.
The gray dawn was creeping In on
him when he added q clean 30 per cent
g. a-- L. -
prepared for bed. But he could not leave
the thing. He became assaulted by sud-
den doubts and fears. What II he had
made a mistake? What IL some link
In his chain were faulty? What II some
other bidder had made q mistake and
under figured? The consequences made
him tremble. Now that 1t was all over.
he feared that he had been over conf
dent, for 1t was not really possible that
the greatest steel contract IN years
would come to him He grew dizzy al
thought of what 1t meant to him and tc
the girl .
He Gained himself however, and
looked straight at the matter. leaning
against the table for support. his knees
sagsing beneath him He caught sight
=
old and heavy with fatigue. and won
dered what she would say IL she saw
It He determined suddenly to shave
that profit to . per cent. and make
sure. for her sake-his only show of
weakness-and then he refrained- He
knew in his heart that his figures were
correct.
At 1890 g. M. Thursday. he was the
only salesman In Mr.. Peebleby's Office
who did not wear silk hat, pearl
gloves and spats, and In consequence
the others ignored him for q time
but only for time. Once the proposals
had been read an air of impenetrable
gloom spread over the room The seven
Scotch. English. and Belgian raournsrs
stared cheerlessly at each other and
then at the young man from overseas
who had underbid the lowest of them
by 5000 pounds sterling. less than per
cent. After awhile they bowed and
numb, and went softly out IN their
high has. their pearl gloves. and their
spats- more like pailbearers now than
ever.
six hundred thirty-seyen thousand
| five hundred pounds sterling" said the
director general. BY Jove. Mitchell.
I'm glndr' They shook hands. I'm
| really glad"
That's quite over ,a,oo.oco," said
Mitchell. IT'S quite nice little job"
Peebleby laughed. You have been
very decent about II. too. I hope to
see something of you. what?"
you'll see my smoke. I'm married.
You are not going back right away -
Tomorrow; I've booked my passa re
and ca5led the girl to meet me in New
York.
MY word! She will be glad to hear
| of your success"
''oh. I've told her already. You se.
/ knew l had won.''
son-Ray syndicate started In open
| amazement.
Now let's get at those signatures"
That night Louis Mitchell slept WIFI
fifteen separate contracts under his pill
low. He double locked the door, pulled
the dresser in front of II and slept
with the light burning. At times hs
awoke with a start and felt for tht
| documents. Towards morning he wai
seized with sudden fright, so got uy
| and read them all over for fear soma
body had tempered with them They
were correct, however, whereupon he
| read them a second time just for
pleasure. They were strangely inter.
esting.
On the Deutschland he slept much Of
| the way across and by the time Liberty
| Statue doomed up. he could dream Of
| other things than blueprints-of the girl
| for instance.
She had enough left from the $50 tc
| bring her on and take a weeks lodging
| in West Thirty-fourth street, and sh,
was at the dock. although he could no