The Washington times., 1938-02-12

ance was too vague and because
insurance men like himself didn't
go out and dig up customers.
His thought were smack in the
middle of this depressing channel
when the girl at the switchboard
announced Mr.. Harry Mcintyre,
Of the Crystal Book Match Com
pany. Elmer, having nothing else
to do, told the girl to send him in.
GODS GIFT TO BUSINESS
Mr.. Mcintyre was squat little
man with no hair on the top Of
his head, but plenty Of drive and
enthusiasm inside Of it.
He was, he said, Gods gift to
an almost PROSTATE business
world. He had a brand new me
dium Of advertising. It was these
little books Of matches. A man
like Elmer, who was really not
so much a man as he was a Name
in the insurance business, should
capitalize that name and push it
under the noses Of as many peo-
pie as possible. Now Mr.. McIn-
tyre could influence the Crystal
Match Company to make up TO-
900 books of matches for Mr..
Wish for a sum that was ridlcu-
lous.. Here were some samples.
He took them out, different sizes
and shapes Of match books.
AS soon as he showed the books,
Mr.. Mcintyre had made a sale.
The idea had smacked Elmer right
in the nose. He even saw the
match book which would repre-
sent him. It was a deep black and
in gold letters on one side OF it
would be emblazoned the letters,
ELMER WISH and on the other
side, the legend, HIS BOOK.
He stopped Mr.. Mcintyre Just
as he was breaking into a sweat,
to order 10000.
When they were made UP, he
took a carton of them home to
show Irene. Irene was only po-
litely interested. She thought they
were mice" Again Elmer sort OF
felt her escape from him. Sadly
he put them away.
BRINGS BUSINESS
He did no waste his matches in
Evanton. He had most Of the bust.
ness there already. He distributed
them carefully throughout the city
and in other suburbs. He ordered
&C, 1000 more when a customer
came out Of the nowhere to sign
up for a $4,000 policy after tell
ing Elmer he had first seen his
name on a book of matches and
got so interested that he looked
him up in the telephone book and
found he was in the insurance
business.
Another customer. And he ord
cred another lot of books printed.
In three months, he bought 100:
600 of them. He did not mention
it at home because he knew Irene
wasn't interested.
One day, Irene and Fanny Hat
ton and Eve Grimshaw went into
town to see a matinee. After the
matinee, they went to a pretty
swanky cocktail bar whose wicked
virtues had been we'll advertised
in their little crowd. They sat on
high stools at the bar, feeling
vaguely sinful. Irene sat beside a
very beauteous blonde.
The blonde slipped her cocktail.
She was alone. Contemplatively,
she reached into her handbag and
lifted therefrom package OF
cigarettes. She took one out.
tamped it on the bar and then
looked into her handbag again.
Her hand went into it and came
out bearing a packet Of matches.
It was black and gold and very
striking. Irene recognized it. On
one side of 1t, it bore the name.
ELMER WISH. On the other side
of it, as the blonde extracted a
match and scratched it against
the book. was the legend. HIS
BOOK.
A MAN HUNTER
Irene stared, fascinated, first at
the book and then at the blonde.
The blonde looked predatory. You
could tell she was a man hunter.
W.. ~~,,IS $40 a. ~ a1yarE1 NTAA rf