Part 10 (1/2)

Most fellows had fallen in line with the new plan of controlling credits, and I felt sure it would work out splendidly, although one old chap, Mr. Dawborn, had felt insulted (he owed me $18.75--and _still_ owes it, by the way) and said he refused to be card-indexed and checked up like a criminal being put through the third degree. He worked himself into a fine fit of fury, and bounced out of the store, saying that he would give Stigler all his trade in future.

I was so ”rattled” that I forgot to ask him to pay his account before doing so!

The incident reminded me of something that La.r.s.en had told me about Stigler. He said that Stigler was talking about me and saying that I was a ”smarty” and that it was about time somebody ”slapped my wrist.”

Stigler claimed that he would run me off my feet by Christmas.

I remember wis.h.i.+ng his store was not so near. I could see it from the front of mine. I had noticed that, whenever he and I happened to meet he would say, ”Howdy” in such a contemptuous manner that I felt like knocking his block off! Excuse my free and easy language, but I sure did hate that man!

I have interrupted my story just when I was recording the standing of my business at the first of the third month as nearly as I could estimate it.

Cash in bank, $1,920.00.

Accounts owing to me, $1,265.00.

Purchases for previous month, $4,220.00.

Bills I owed, $3,820.00.

I decided I must get hold of Jock McTavish, for there was something wrong in it all. I had had to get that stock, but I did not have enough in cash and accounts owing to me to pay all my trade bills.

However, I had until the 10th, and if I had a good week I would be pretty nearly all right; still I did feel a bit uncomfortable about owing so much more than I could pay right away, even though I had got a fine new stock of gardening tools, and a new line of carpenter and household tools, besides a new line in aluminum ware.

I understood that Stigler was mad because I had opened up in the carpenter tool line so much more than my predecessor had.

Jock had told me that I ought to reduce my stock and increase my sales.

I had increased my sales, but increased my stock also. Still, I had saved quite a lot in price by buying in large quant.i.ties, and, if the worst came to the worst, I could pay everybody but the Boston jobbers.

Bates & Hotchkin, to whom I owed nearly $2,000.00, had been very decent to me. They had sent their man to help me take stock and never charged me a cent. I had given them the bulk of my general business, and they had looked after me in great shape. I felt that they would give me an extra thirty-days credit if I asked for it, and I certainly would sooner ask them than any one else.

I studied the figures that evening until Betty came in and put her dear hands on my forehead and said, ”How hot your head is, boy dear--are you worrying over anything in particular?” ”No,” I said with a smile.

”Well,” she replied, ”it is 12:30 and quite time you were getting some beauty sleep.”

I said I was not worried, but I didn't like the size of my liabilities.

I began to think I had been a fool in buying so heavily.

The next morning I had a bit of excitement, with the result that I paid Myricks his money and let him go.

I had decided to adhere to the division of expenses that Jock had worked out, and that meant reducing the force. Accordingly, I had told Myricks that he could stay a few weeks until he got another job, and I meant it, but that morning, when I caught him in the bas.e.m.e.nt tossing lamp chimneys into the fixtures so carelessly that a number of them were broken, I got mad and told him he was an ungrateful scamp, and that I thought he was deliberately destroying my property. He turned around and said I had no cause to say he was a crook, and that, even if I was his boss, he had friends who would help him to protect his reputation!

Then I saw red, and plugged him under the jaw! Next I called him upstairs, gave him a week's money, and let him go.

His parting remark was, ”Everybody's getting wise to you; I'm glad to be through before the smash comes. Mr. Stigler told me what would happen and I can get a job there now--and I'm going to him right away!”

It didn't scare me any--it merely aroused my fighting blood. There was one good lesson I learned that day, though, and that was, ”Never to talk to an employee while in a temper.” I felt that I had lowered my dignity by so doing; and, even though I had done him no harm, I certainly had not done myself any good.

I didn't like what he had said about Stigler, but if he thought it worried me he was mistaken. If Stigler was spoiling for a fight I'd give him one! . . .

I had begun to think that La.r.s.en was a pretty shrewd fellow; certainly when he did thaw enough to make a criticism it was generally worth listening to.