Mr. Joseph Adams was president and principal owner of the big carpet mills and held title to much residence and store property throughout the town. He was about forty-two years of age, a much younger man than Joe had expected to find when, led by Mr. Strobe, they entered his office in the new building early the next morning. The business was completed in rather less than five minutes. Mr. Strobe stated what was wanted, Joe answered a question as to proposed location of the stand, they all descended to view the spot, and Mr. Adams then said: “I’m agreeable. Rent free until the first of March. After that, eighteen dollars a month. Keep everything clean and neat. Come around this afternoon and I’ll have a lease ready for you.”
When they returned at half-past three Mr. Adams said: “One thing I neglected to speak of, boys. About your counter and showcase, now; better let me attend to those, I guess. I don’t want anything that clashes with the finish down there. I’ve got Mayer coming here in about ten minutes. He’s the boss-carpenter. I thought we’d decide what was wanted and he could go ahead and put it up. The walls are cream white down there and I think we’d ought to have the stand to match. That suit you? What had you thought of?”
“Mahogany, sir,” replied Joe. “That is, imitation mahogany. But I think cream white would look better.”
“I guess so. Now, look here.” Mr. Adams drew a sheet of paper towards him and sketched roughly. “A row of shelves across to here; sliding doors at the back; panelled in front. Then a flap counter the rest of the way; lift it up to get in, you know; crawl under if you’d rather. Now what about shelves at the back? Need them? They wouldn’t look well, I guess.”
“I don’t think so,” replied Joe. “I guess we’d have room for everything on the counter and in the showcase. I—I hadn’t thought about a showcase, though, Mr. Adams. Won’t it cost a good deal?”
“Twelve dollars and sixty cents. I priced it. That needn’t worry you, though; I’m paying for the whole thing.”
“Oh!” murmured Joe. “I didn’t understand.”
“That’s great!” exclaimed Jack.
Mr. Adams smiled. “Doing it for my own protection. I’d rather have something that looked solid and substantial there. I don’t want anything cheap, you know. Here’s Mayer now,” he added as a clerk appeared at the door. “Let’s go down and see what’s to be done.”
Joe thought he had never encountered anyone who could rush a thing through as Mr. Adams could. It took him about three minutes to explain his ideas to the carpenter and when he had finished, that gentleman, a taciturn man with a long head and a Scotch burr, could suggest no improvements.