The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-01-30
.HowaDebtWas
Collected
By WILLIAM CHANDLER

world the strangcst TO me are those
who consider il their duty to give
largely. hut who in transactions OF a
business nature are Unfortunately mean
Such characters are common among
rich men. whose motive usually is TO
make something. even out of their do
nations-men who don't hide their light
under bushel But Miss Euphemia
Baxter was not at all such person.
Few knew of her charities She sup
ported an old woman for years who
had been an intimate friend of her
mothers. At the same time she beat
her laundress down to starvation
prices. She lived In a hall bedroom
herself and spent a lot Of money fix
Ing up home for an invalid aunt. 1t
was the furniture to go into this home
that sold Miss Baxter.
Failing in sending out my regular
collector. thought would try a wo-
man. She came away after tongue
skirmish that decided her never to un-
dertake such a task again.
| had a salesman, Frank Emery. in
my employ, a good looking young fell
low with one of the pleasantest smiles
| ever saw on mans face. Where
other persons would scowl he would
smile. He was invaluable as a sales
man, especially since most of my Gus.
toners were women. One of the 9th.
er clerks used to say of him. "One of
Franks smiles sells washstand, an
other sells bureau. and when he
shows his side grinders it means a
who.e bedroom SET"
One day Frank said to me, Mr. Rug
giles, what'll you give me If collect
your debt from Miss Baxter?"
Il don't think any one can collect 1t,
Frank" l replied. II fancy the lady
went in debt for It and has never been
able to stop giving long enough to ac-
cumulate the amount of the bill You
can't squeeze blood out Of a turnip."
IN tell you what I'll do, Mr.. Rug
giles. / didn't have any vacation last
summer. The dull season Is on now,
and you can best spare me. Give me a
few weeks vacation and I'll see If ]
can get your money"
l acceded to his terms and, giving
him statement Of the account-$142-
sent him off to collect the debt In any
way he might be able. The boys said
that he'd get K IN installments, giving
a smile for each installment.
Three weeks passed before heard q
word from my collector. Then one day
he came into the store, smiled and
handed me the amount of Miss Bax-
ter's Indebtedness. / asked him how
he had managed 1t, but he did not
seem inclined to tell me. Indeed, he
looked rather serious about it. This
surprised me, for ! had never known
him to look serious about anything
But | got the story out of him piece
meal
He had gone to Miss Baxter and
told her he had heard that she was
tender hearted person. Would she
kindly interest herself to get him en-
ploymentf He was hungry and shah
by Che wore a castoff suit, and he was
not very strong. He could not do man.
ual labor.
Quite likely it was the smile that did
the business. Miss Baxter gave him
the wherewithal to get something to
eat while she was hunting a job for
him. He put away the money, and she
found plenty Of Jobs. But either they
required too much strength or Frank
was especially untitled for them. He
kept accepting donations from day to
day, the lady having hard work to In
duce him to do so and only under
promise that he should be permitted
to return them as soon as she found
position for him. He very soon clean
ed her out of all the ready money she
possessed. after which she began to sac
rifice what few valuables she owned.
finally pawning her winter coat. which
she greatly needed.
l declined to take money achieved IN
this way which appeared to be great
relief to Frank. Having started out
TO collect the debt in his own peculiar
way, he was bound to follow the mat
ter TO the bitter end. He managed to
preserve his equanimity till the lady
gave up her winter coat for his bene-
fit. That broke him up. told him
to return the money to Miss Baxter.
He said that could only be done in
some roundabout manner. but 1t would
he done
Before the next season opened one
Of my competitors offered Frank better
pay than | was giving him, and was
obliged to double his salary. Instead
of giving me a single smile when
told him of the raise, smiles seemed
to bubble out all over him.
Its not on my own account alone,
Mr.. Ruggles," he said, ".hat I re-
joice. am engaged. and this raise
enables me to marry"
"Who is the lady, Frank7" / asked.
Miss Euphemia Baxter"
Great Scottr' I exclaimed "Yon
don't mean itr'