Dust Settles.
Be a Man!
"Norah," said Mrs. Dedbeat, from the top of the stairs, "tell that man who is ringing the doorbell that I am not receiving today!"
The servant girl went to the door and said something to the man; then she stepped into the hall and called upstairs:
"I told him you were not receivin' today, ma'am! But he says he ain't deliverin', he's collectin'!"
He was running a small provision-store in a newly developed district, and the big wholesale dealers found him very backward in payment of his accounts.
They sent him letter after letter, each more politely threatening than the last. Finally they sent their representative down to give him a sporting chance.
"Now," said the caller, "we must have a settlement. Why haven't you sent us anything? Are things going badly?"