Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1920-05-13

sought for billiards., found them,
darted away again.
THAT'S tough mighty tough -.
L.. 1 came up here thinking l might
do something about it. Save the sit
uatiOn, you know. Too late, is it?"
"A good deal too late"
Harmon exhaled lengthily, and fun
bled for his invariable cigarette; Hill
lard observed without particular de-
duction, that his hands lacked Ger
| tainty.
THAT does sort of burst the bubble,
doesn't it? Well / suppose
the next step you want to take is to
| get out of town"
mo" said billiard, "Ill stay till it's
over with"
Harmon gasped.
"Stay? Stay here after the news
is out? What for?"
II hardly think you'd understand
what I'm staying for. Mr.. Harmon"
| The fat broker shook his head in
vigorous protest.
Nov, look here!" His voice was
paternally kind. you've been a fine
sport through this whole business, ex-
cept once. and we won't let that bother
US now. AS salesman you've been
| a holy wonder. You've done all ex-
| pected you'd do, or could do, and then
some. And your fiare-up last time I
was here don't hurt you with me one
little bit. But here we are at the fin
ish. My suggestion to you is to pack
your buds and get out. Call it a day
and quit. There's better business
somewhere else. And if you'd like to
plant yourself in some other good
town, say, Detroit, and"
"No thanks" billiards. smile was
out Of genuine humor.
"Well, aren't you open to convic-
tion?"
mo, don't think I am. Please
don't argue-that's final.
"Well, you're sure you can't do any
more here, aren't you?"
Not a nickel's worth-even if
wanted to. And would you mind get
ting down to brass tacks? Otherwise
| can't see any benefit to either of us
from prolonging this interview; can
your"
+ Harmon inspected him carefully and
seemed to be struck with an inspira-
ton. go
I'm not sure of it, at that Look
here now! I've got an idea! Let's
Try to get some benefit out of it. Sup
pose you got clear of this mess. Sup
pose we straighten it out from top to
bottom. Everybody satisfied. Sup
pose you got out of it absolutely clean;
do you think you could take your ex-
perience and your front and your en-
ergy and cash in on some better bust
| neSS?"
billiard exclaimed aloud; he could
hardly credit his ears.
whats that?" he managed. ~
don't understands
The brokers' eyes frightened. TITS
easy enough if you put your mind to it.
I've told you before" he said impress
sively, I'm out for results. That's my
middle -E-sults. And not re-
suits from minute to minute. but re-
suits in the long run. Now it does
seem to me like an awful shame to
have you come I'D here and spend all
this time ana money flub-dubbing
around, and then have it all over
with, and nothing to show for it but a
lot of bellyachng customers OF
course we've made little money but
when we let this scheme wind up in
big howl from everybody we've got
into it we're losing the cumulative
value of you. And it's you that was
the backbone of the whole idea. Now
this is only passing thought but let's
consider it-which way would be the
best for US in the long run, to close
up this deal and get out from under,
and take little profit and be in dutch
here forever, or to be a couple of phil
anthropists and play strong for the
future"
How do you mean?" billiard was
afire with hope.
The brokers' smile was every mo-
ment more broadly ingratiating.
"Why, suppose l should hand you
back every cent you've collected and
paid in. This is just a suggestion-l
want your opinion on it. You 20
round to your subscribers; tell 'em
the mine isn't as promising as you
thought it was; you're going to make
good; give 'em their money back.
NOw-if you did that and left first
class impression everywhere, could you
start from scratch all over again and
sell enough honest-tO-goodness conser-
vative stuff-municipals or like that
to those same people to make up the
difference?" He was studying his
companion keenly.
(TO BE CONTINUED)