“North Portage,” said Solomon in his crispest manner. No one seemed to know him, or to remember him five seconds.
“Oh, yes; North Portage. Waite goes there. Waite's a good fellow; you like him, don't you?”
“I'd like to have him stay at home. I never want to see a drummer.”
“Is that so?” and Church looked at him in mild surprise. “Well, what shall we start on first?”
Solomon wasn't prepared to start on anything. It wasn't at all the way he had expected to get started. He didn't like being pushed from one proprietor to another, and then to a mere clerk, and to have that man take it for granted that he was going to buy without any coaxing or figuring. He was disappointed. He expected to have bought a bill here, but there were other stores of the same kind in Toledo, and he believed he'd punish these fellows for their indifference by going somewhere else. Good idea! He would act on it.
He told Church that he guessed he wouldn't leave an order just then; maybe he would come in again. Church coaxed him a little then, but it was too late. Solomon was bound to go, and off he started for a notion house.
The proprietor was in the office, shook hands with him, asked about trade and crops and finally proposed to show him some goods. This was more to Solomon's taste, and he bought readily, but he was disgusted to see that prices were no lower than the traveling man had sold at. He mentioned this to Shaw. “Lower? Of course not. We can't ask you one price in Toledo and another in North Portage. My man carries my stock into your store, lets you see the goods, quotes you prices and posts you.”
“But his expenses are big; it costs you nothing to sell me now.”
“His expenses come out of my pocket; not out of yours. I would be mighty glad if traveling men were done away with; but it would be a saving to me, not to you.”
This rather staggered Solomon, for it upset one of his hobbies. As he was finishing, and about to say “good-by” to Mr. Shaw, he saw the book-keeper whisper into that gentleman's ear and turn away.