tubular, when the agent had sold the new. The clerk erased the mark
and sent the case back to the other man in the town whose order was
not filled. You can see how much time, trouble and expense would have
been saved had the smart Aleck dropped a card to the house saying he
did not want the lanterns and held them subject to orders.

"Yes," said Blissam, "but I have seen goods go back when I thought it
was the proper thing to do. You know one of the latest schemes is to
sell goods in cases, and throw in the show-case. It started with
needle and thread men and has gone into a good many other things. A
concern from somewhere in Ohio had a man in Illinois selling shears in
this way. In one town he sold the dry-goods man a case, at 45 per
cent, off retail prices, and gave him the exclusive sale of the town,
and then sold a hardware man across the street at 50 per cent,
discount, and gave him the exclusive sale. When each party opened up
his stock and made a display they soon discovered how the land lay,
and, furthermore, the way in which the dry-goods man swore when he saw
the other's bill at so much less than his, would have made your hair
stand up. He boxed up these goods and sent them back by express, and I
thought he did right."

I went down to my hotel and sat a while in the smoking-room. There
were several traveling men there, and they seemed to be very much
interested in some "she," but I was never a good hand at making
acquaintances, and I made no effort here, but went to my room and soon
fell asleep, to dream all night about selling goods at 100 per cent
profit. The next morning I was out bright and early to see Jewell &
Son. The clerk said neither of the firm was in, so I made myself as
pleasant to him as I could, and posted myself as to the goods the
house was handling, and the prices they were paying. By and by the