“I advertised this f-foreclosure,” he said, with a grin, “so all Wicksville would know what kind of a man Skip is. I wanted Wicksville to appreciate how generous he is. I hope after this f-folks won’t bother to trade here at the Bazar. We don’t deserve it, for all we do is give an honest bargain for every cent you spend here. Go to Skip.... And now, Mr. Skip, you’ve got your money. I calc’late you and the officer hain’t got anythin’ more to d-do here, and I’ll bet you’ve got business somewheres else. So good afternoon, Mr. Skip; and, Mr. Skip, you might carry off the thought that competition in business is all right, but that folks that tries to squeeze and won’t play f-fair is apt to git into a pinch themselves.... Good afternoon, Mr. Skip.”
Skip and the officer started for the door, with folks jostling them and making funny remarks and laughing at them fit to bust. I’ll bet he was glad to get to the door, and the way he shot out into the street and dodged toward his own place was enough to make you laugh if you had a sore tooth.
Then folks crowded around Mark, and he stood and let them admire him, and enjoyed it to beat everything. Mr. Bloom got up on a chair and says:
“Fellow-townsmen, that there man Skip hain’t the sort of citizen we want here. There’s some way to git rid of him. You know what that is.”
“You bet,” says Chet Weevil, “just keep away from his store.”
“That’s the ticket,” says Mr. Bloom. “Now, folks, see what you can do. It won’t take long.”
“Jest you watch us,” says Mr. Hoover. “We’ll ’tend to Skip.”
Mark stood up again. “Now, folks,” he says, “the place is ready for business again. You’ll find us behind the counters, and we’ll be there six days a week, ready to g-g-give you your money’s worth and a little more every time.”
The crowd hung around a spell, gabbling and talking and buying a few things, but they finally left and we four were alone.
“Mark,” says I, “I’m goin’ to write mother now. Whatever else there is to do can wait. And when her letter comes back I’m goin’ to give it to you. She’ll say in it the things that I hain’t got any idea of how to say right.”