Mr. Smith.—“Well, that certainly looks fair enough, and there’s a good deal in what you say. I guess I’ll put my name down.”
Agent.—“Thanks, sir, thank you; understand, the only reason I am giving you this bargain is that I can refer others to you when I come around again.”
Mr. Smith.—“Oh, yes, I understand.”
Agent.—“I know you have the best bargain you ever made. My word is as good as law, though, and I’ll not back out. Good-day.”
That was the sum and substance of the argument, varying it at all times to suit the occasion.
Selling bibles was easy work, for the most part carried on with good people, and at a good profit—it may seem strange that I did not follow it longer than I did. I thought it a little strange myself. I do not believe it was superstition that drove me out of the traffic, but if you were to say that it was I might not know so well how to answer you. Anyhow, I quit it and took up with a general line of books.
In the first place, this bible business was only temporary, and done only to help the sick agent out. Next, as stated in the previous chapter, I had made arrangements for this line; and, third, I knew there was better chance of making big money in handling a line of standard authors. So I quit the bible and paper and went to the miscellaneous books.
The firm I worked for published the complete works of many standard authors. There were no single volumes on my list, and if I remember right the smallest set was a history of the world in four volumes.
As samples for canvassing the firm furnished each agent with a nice stretcher, showing up the backs of each set of books complete. These stretchers, or book backs, were gotten up in a very neat and tasty manner, and when set up against the wall looked just like a complete set of the books would appear when arranged in a book case. I would walk up to a business or professional man without giving him any advance knowledge of what I wanted. In general, I stated my business in a roundabout, though apparently off-hand, manner, gradually leading up to the vital point, finally saying to him:
“I am going to get up a library club here among the literary lights of the town and I want you in it.”