The Washington times., 1932-09-16

and the soles of a cardboard
compound? Thus the shoes
would cost about so cents TO
make, and they could be sold
to dumbbells for five dollars.
The shoe manufacturer didn't
want to do it. But the head
bookkeeper was ordering more
red ink all the time, SO he
finally capitulated.
Gordon was just full of such
ideas. For a month he racked
his brain trying to figure out
how to get five dollars from
the customers without giving
them anything. But somehow
that idea was never feasible.
Within six months he had
control of the shoe company.
Within another six months the
man who accepted Gordon's
idea found himself on the out
side looking in. And Gordon's
name was lettered in gold on
the stationery.
Finds a New Racket
But the shoe business wasn't
enough for Gordon. He looked
around for more fields to con-
quer. So he took the money
that he amassed in the shoe
business. looked over the top
of his glasses at it and threw
it into the cutlery business.
KNIVES and forks" he told
his yes men. "are entirely too
expensive. Why. a good knife
will set you back a couple of
dollars. Forks the same way.
Good spoons are worth a for.
tune. I'm going to revolutionize
the industry. Watch me-"
They watched. Two weeks
later a tall, scholarly looking
man came into the office. He
had a bundle under his arm.
He asked to see Mr.. Gordon.
He waited for a half hour, and
was shown into the inner
Sanctum.
Gordon glanced at the bundle.
"Ya got emp" he asked
eagerly.
"Yes, sir" replied the visitor.
He unfolded the package and
exposed a set of shining knives.
Gordon grabbed one. 1t gilt
tered brightly in his face. He
fondled the cutting edge with
his thumb.
Fine" he kept saying over
and over. Fine. Fine. Fine"
The tall man fidgeted.
''It's not my place to criticize.
Mr.. Gordon" he said. You're
the man who ordered these
knives, and I'm selling the
article to you. But it's bad
business.
These knives aren't worth a
dime a dozen. They're not much
better than paper. And, as for
those imitation ivory handles,
hot water will kill them imme-
diately."
Now, now" soothed Cor
don. I'm a business man, and
I know what I'm doing. The
average couple can't afford
good cutlery, so I'm selling
cheap stuff to them. 1t looks
like good stuff, and it shines
brightly"
Gordon fondled those knives
all afternoon. When the office
closed for the evening, he was
still sitting there, thinking up
high pressure methods to sell
them.
How long he sat there he
had no idea. But he suddenly
awoke. A noise of some kind
startled him. The office was
in darkness. He snapped on
the lights. A man stood on
the other side of the desk. A
thick-set man with a black
JACK IN his hand.
Then His Finish
Gordon took the situation in
at a glance. He knew that, if
the burglar had a gun, he
wouldn't be using a blackjack.
So, without thinking, he grab
bed the knife and lunged at
the intruder.
They found the body in the
morning. He lay in the CEN
ter of the rug. The employees
summoned an ambulance, but
the surgeon said he had been
dead for some hours.
The doctor stood up.
Look" he said. Its quite
evident that Mr.. Gordon tried
to defend himself during the
fatal attack"
He displayed a bent and
crumpled knife.
"Wh0eVer S01d him thic