Part 19 (1/2)

”Don't do it!” I replied sharply. ”Ring up every sale as you make it!”

We were too busy to dispense with him then, but I wondered--I wondered--

When we closed the store Tuesday no more goods were left! The sales that day had been $427.00.

Of course when I say there were no more goods left, I mean there were perhaps thirty or forty odd items left, but I was certain that they would be all sold out the next day.

The total for the sale had been $1,517.00. My advertising had cost me $127.00, so that my net cash from the sale was $1,390.00. That showed me a cash profit of $24.00. But, gee whiz!--didn't that bank account look good!

I planned to take up that note of $1,000.00 at the bank, right away. It would seem good to get rid of that. And I was going to Barrington and pay $250.00 on that $1,250.00 loan for which he had taken a mortgage on my farm.

Gosh, it did seem good to have some money, although after I had taken $1,250.00 from $1,390.00, there wouldn't be much real cash left. Still, I hadn't been buying much, and my bills were unusually small that month.

When I got home I rushed into the house, took hold of Betty and swung her around several times, and sang my little song--”Half-price day is over and no more goods are left!” We behaved like a couple of kids.

She thought I would be making a mistake to pay off that thousand dollars at the bank. She thought I ought to leave $500.00 of it, for she said I wouldn't have enough money to pay my month's bills and would have to borrow again.

”Well, they'll let me do it, if necessary,” I said; ”and besides, I'm not paying interest on what I am not borrowing.”

”Perhaps you're right,” she said with a laugh, ”and now come and get your dinner.”

Dinner, at 10:30 at night! However, what's meal time when you're busy?

How I pitied those poor fellows who don't get heart and soul into their work. Time surely does fly when you do! What a s.h.i.+rker I had been when I had worked for Barlow! The days had seemed long then.

I gave all my fellows a special bonus that week for the work they had done. I gave La.r.s.en $10.00, Jones $6.00 and Wilkes $3.00--that is, an extra half week's pay.

Myricks had gone. In spite of being busy I had gotten rid of him that Tuesday. I had caught him again putting money in his pocket, and Mr.

Pinkham, who bought a saw, also told me that he had noticed Myricks didn't ring up the money.

I had kept my eye on Myricks, and then, when there was a little lull in trade, I had called him into my little office and ordered him to turn out his pockets.

”What's that for?” he asked impudently.

”I want to see how much money you have got there,” I said.

”I don't see that it's anybody's business what money I have got in my pockets,” he replied.

”Well, it has something to do with me,” I returned sternly, ”for you told me yesterday you were carrying my money in your pockets. Now, I insist on knowing what you have got in your pockets.”

”All I've got is money of my own, and I don't see that it's any of your business!”

”You are going to turn out your pockets before you leave this office,” I said angrily. My voice was raised and the others in the store were gazing in our direction. ”If not, I'll call a policeman.”

”Call him in and be d.a.m.ned,” he said, and he struck at me.

I lost my temper, and for once I was glad of it, for I landed on him and hit him fair and square under the jaw. He fell against the desk, upsetting a vase full of flowers that Betty had put there. He got up, holding his head, and blood was trickling from a cut in his cheek where he had caught the edge of the desk.

I was so raging mad that I was prepared for almost anything.