"N-no;" and then, feeling the need to excuse myself for it, I continued, "I've really been too busy."
"Ha!" he jerked, putting his head on one side like a sparrow, "bad habit to get into, that, if I may say so without being rude. Man can't know how best to conduct his own business unless he has some idea of what other people are doing. Got to know that to keep even with the times. Come along with me."
And then this little man, who I afterward found was one of the wealthiest hardware dealers in our State, took me by the arm, saying:
"I am going to introduce you to a trade paper man you ought to know."
He took me up to a group of men who were laughing at a story told by a big, raw-boned, loose-jointed man who seemed to be popular with the others.
"Rob," said Minker, "come here!" And the big man good-naturedly came over, put his arm around the little man's shoulder, and asked:
"Well, what is it this time?"
"I want you to meet Mr. Dawson Black, who has only recently opened a store. Mr. Black," said he, "this is Mr. Robert Sirle, known to all his friends as Rob. He is the editor of Hardware Times."
"I'm mighty glad to meet you, Mr. Black," said Mr. Sirle, giving me a hearty handshake, "You bought Jim Simpson's business, didn't you?"
"Why, yes!" I replied. "How do you know?"