Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-08-15
His Three-Year
r. Contract
By LEETE STONE



p OMANOWSKY, trunk and bag
manufacturer, and Ned Barton,
salesman, both signed a three-year
contract which endowed the latter
with $1,000 year and commissions.
This contract was bright one to Bar
ton because it meant bright things.
Ned and Sheila Raymond loved each
other; were engaged, but Ned so far
had not saved enough money to buy
the coy cottage in lovely little Beech
wood Park, furnish it, and have enough
remaining to take care of such casual
ties as sickness and accident.
The night the contract was signed
Ned and Sheila joyously realized that
they could be married in a year.
A prosperous territory, assigned to
Ned, yielded highly satisfactory sales
for the first three months. Roman
owsky was pleased. Then the pendu-
lum OF business unexpectedly swung
from the peak of prosperity to the
valley of depression. Ned's sales
shrank to the proportions of circus
skeleton. 1t dawned on Romanowsky
that he had made a mistake and he
commenced to search assiduously for
a loophole Of escape.
He called Ned Barton in for a con-
ference, hoping the salesman would
prove reasonable in the matter of IA
modified contract; or, better yet, be
willing to sign off until better times.
Romanowsky was pacific and used
soft, conciliatory smiles; but Ned was
genially adamant. contract was Il
contract. That love nest for two in
Beachwood Park was not to be so
easily snatched from his grasp.
So Romanowsky tried another tack.
Since pleading and a mild brand Of
threatening conviction, the manufac-
turer resorted to strategem. He
switched Ned Barton's territory from
Broadway and vicinity to the wide
open spaces-the mesas of New Mex
leo. Removed him from the land
where a shaving case was necessity,
to the land where a bald-faced pinto
and Navajo blanket constituted the
entire travelling accessories of the pop
ulation. It was territory that, to
consult the census, boasts about three
individuals to the square mile; two
Indians and one white man.
The willy manufacturer hoped that
sleeping between sections of a news
paper on hard station benches rather
than in luxurious hotels, solitude, lack
of orders, and distance, would, instead
of lending enchantment to his sales
mans dreams, drown them in the
desuetude of desert life. He hoped
that hardship and dearth Of business
might discourage Ned and bring him
back begging for termination or mod
ification of the contract.
But Ned left the office with a lumi-
nous smile and his quota of leather
goods samples, saying:
Fine, finer He gripped Roman
nwsky's hand cordially, I've always
Wantet to see the great Southwest"
Ned forwarded meticulously accu-
rate expense account from Frozen
l'"", Rattlesnake Reach, and White
'l"s'I which caused Romanowsky to
tear his hair. Long motor and buck
'-'ard jaunts between settlements cost
''Hl money. And Romanowsky could
Sc Ned's smile.
The salesman's suave manner, in
T., ISL cases, won the hearts of the
h..rd-hoiled denizens of the open coun-
s.. Once. however, on charted
skip from Steers Head to Piute Pass,
where Ned had but little time to catch
" limited train, he had to win the con-
eml of one Cactus Cal to drive him
"vpI it, blackboard as the road was
impossible for motoring. Cactus named
u price four times too high. Ned could
picture Romanowsiy when the figures
decorated his expense account.
1t was dusk as they started. The
road was a series of deep ruts. muddy
slides, boulders and sloshy puddles.
cactus drove the broncho team like a
madman. Ned could not help betray-
ing apprehension. The worst Of it
vas lhdl hC iClL SdSluS Sdi hUeW ne
was sacred.
"'Fraid III dump you out. amt
you?" satirically spoke Cal.
Ned silently acknowledged that the
gentleman spoke the truth but he de-
termined to try little psychology as
last resort. Reaching into his mind
for all the expletives stored there. Ned
found some he had forgotten.
Afraid, am I? Why. you -
blakety blank. and a few more. Now
look here! You can toss me or dump
me into the mud because you're bigger
than am; but if you dol say, If
you do, that stricken valley you live
in will be turned into the hottest pot
of trouble for you by morning that
you ever saw. Now let's be safe and
san and get that train"
"Aw." Cal weakened. 81 s'pose
you're some government fena. Ell? L
was jest kiddin yuh little"
That expense itelu arriving, finally
noUred Romanowsky. He called in his
lawyer and walled
Hell drive me 10 bankruptcy How
can : break the cOntract?"
you can't! iomll have TO buy him
oll-cheaper IN the end"
Ned Barton gol to the office week
later He wore canny smile and his
plump face beamed. They talked for
ii q hours; that Is, Rommowsky
talked; Ned listened. occasionally say
ing firmly. Seven thousand cash"
Wurn out, l,nmunaFSky reached for
his checkhouk Ned's smile widened.
Shcla and the cnzy cottage were GER
tainlies now.
Extending the check. ROmanowsky
uWilered. We'll, lnrs have lunch"
"Snre thing, said Ned, IF you'll pay
"a II