"I guess that wasn't a good idea of mine," said Jerry.
"Mr. Bartlett is a little to blame for what you did," said Mr. Martin. "I went to his store and told him in no uncertain terms that I did not think it fair for a storekeeper to reward credit customers and do nothing for even better cash customers."
"So is he going to stop giving candy to people when they pay their bills?"
"No. He says he's sentimental about that old family custom. But he saw the justice of my argument. He has decided to give the equivalent of a two per cent discount in produce to any customer whose cash receipts for a month are more than fifty dollars."
"What does that mean—in produce?"
"Well, it could be a bag of potatoes or a box of candy. That's entirely up to your mother."
"Not bad. Not bad at all," said Jerry.
"You can wipe that self-satisfied expression right off your face, young man," said Jerry's father. "Taking things in your own hands and deciding what I should do with my money was wrong and you know it. You do know it, don't you?"
Jerry said he could see now that it had not been the right thing to do.
"When I think of all the time and effort you put in for half a pound of candy—well, I can only hope that someday you'll work as hard at something useful."