He stood reflecting, his hands deep in his pockets. An idea soon came to him, for he had always been more resourceful than successful.
He walked boldly into the shop, and approached the proprietor. The man began to assume the smile with which he welcomed prospective buyers, noticed Loring’s clothes, and checking the smile, waited in silence for him to speak. Stephen, unabashed, smiled in a most friendly fashion, and a few words of comment upon the admirable situation of the shop, and the excellence of the stock, quite won the owner’s confidence. After a few moments of conversation, in a guile-free manner he asked: “And do you do much repairing here?”
“No,” the proprietor admitted, “very little. Most of my business is to buy and sell.”
“It seems strange that in a big city such as this there should be no demand for repairs?”
Stephen made the statement a question by the rising inflection. He spoke with the hesitating assurance which had made so many people trust him.
The proprietor shook his head in answer: “No, there is no demand.”
“Is it not that people do not think, perhaps, do not know of your place?”
“Very likely you are right,” answered the storekeeper. He was pleased by the stranger’s interest in his business.
Then Loring played his high card.