Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 132: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

eb 3 ay - a { # ht La, un ae } Ss oe - TAME ay! ~ es ‘ ct v~ . ‘ Vidi me “" ce». ct 3 ~ ae Me vie, > - Ue Fy leas ~ t wr Xi ty 4 » * Lot 3 ri ¥ | VI 130 “WELL, I’ve started my vacation,” er said Luke Mitchell as, a fortnight later, on a Monday afternoon, he swung off the train and grasped Matt’s band” He laughed. ‘“How’s the melon— ready to cut?” “Just about,” grinned.Matt. “Hop in this cab, and I’ll take you somewhere.” On the way Matt submitted to him cer- tain figures, neatly marshalled on a sheet of foolscap. .An expression of intense satisfac- tion settled on Mitchell’s face as he looked them over. This is what he saw: RECEIPTS Work-orders: total value sos | SS age ee Pre $29,100.00 Commissions due and a RRO Ps 5 sopra $7,275.00 EXPENSE Pottery paid in full..... $3700.00 Wages, 12 men, A class, 15 days @ $6.00 ..... 1080.00 Wages, 12 men, B class, 12 days @ $4.50 ..... 648.00 Advtg., printing, sho w- windows, sundries ... - 650.00 ar se Paulett on 2900 Soe es ee ore 145.00 Retainer to Williams ... 100.00 6,323.00. 952.00 Joint capital intact .... 1,800.00 Cash in bank ......... $3,243.00 “Why, we can’t lose!” exclaimed Mitchell delightedly. “Wilson is a good fellow, and I paid him a explained. Matt. “If it hadn’t been for him-———” “Sure! What about Shifter? He must be doing a dance?” “T haven’t seen him for a week. Kept out of his way. He was ’phoning me all oes yesterday. Williams has been handling ‘Didn’t he fight?” “He tried. Wanted to raise his price-list and scate people off; but I forestalled that in the contract. His lawyers told him he hadn’t a leg to stand on. The case is unique; no precedents in the books. He’s like a man with a bear by the tail—he can’t let go.” Mitchell laughed. “Not until you say the word. Hello, _ here’s the Central House! I thought——” “We are not going in now,” Matt in- formed him. “We are going to see Kitty.” _ Adventure ““Kitty?? Ob, Kitty Doyle! Say, old chap, you must be thick with her?” said —s slyly, as he tumbled out of the “Thick as thieves,” rejoined Matt. ‘The old lady is laid up with inflammatory rheu- matism. Kitty is running the shop. Come on in.’ They seemed to be as busy as usual in the laundry. Drivers were bringing in bun- dles, and there were sounds from the back of a general activity. Mitchell stared. He had imagined, with the White Star corner- ing the work, business would be at the point of death with the other plants. But Kitty, smiling and chipper, was greeting him. Doyle’s used-his starch. “Come.around,” Matt invited. He opened the gate and led the way be- hind the counter with the assurance of a habit. He went further. There was. a small glass-partitioned room off the main office, and Matt marched into this. cN, ow, Kitty,” he said, when they were seated, ‘‘tell him what it means—the speed you've got on here. You can see he’s foggy as a night on the lake.” Kitty showed a faultless row of white teeth, and her gray eyes danced. “Why,” she said, “the White Star tried to farm out the work; but I went around to see the others, and we wouldn’t touch it. Matt put me up to that. Shifter was wild. He saw damage suits in his dreams, I guess. He offered to pro rate the business among us, according to capacity, and let us de- liver and collect in full. The East End— only a one body-ironer shop—gave in, but the rest of us held out. Finally, Shifter proposed to pay five per cent. on the book value of the work, and still let us collect in full. We stood-out for ten—and got it!” she concluded triumphantly. “That was ten days ago,’’ Matt acquaint- ed Mitchell. “Counting the commission, the plants are showing very nearly normal profits, and yet the White Star is working overtime at a big loss. Luke, it’s the fun- niest thing that ever happened!’ “Tt’s the best thing!”’ declared Kitty ve- hemently. ‘Shifter has tried to hog the laundry business of this town, and——”’ Mitchell burst into a guffaw. He couldn’t help it. “Thats good! First rate!” he applauded. “T didn’t. mean it that way,” she said, though with a smile. ‘‘He’s tried to steal Eomichbooks (9) e@) Me