Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 159: what you’re looking at

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

CASHTER’S CHECKS. of weeks a pipeful of hop couldn’t make us look at that sign again. This was the first time, though, that I heard any one of ’em come out cold and say that he was shooting after the grand. I think Bowling felt just like we did, for he looked right up at O’Malley and _ said, ‘Well, you can have a try at it, but no drawing account.” “Don’t make any difference,” the feller came right back, “I’m only stayin’ here long enough to get that thousand. I ain’t lookin’ to be workin’ fer anybody else. Workin’ fer anybody else is just ike turnin’ somersaults; ye’re just usin’ yourself up without gettin’ no place. Besides a drawin’ account only keeps a salesman from keepin’ the boss in his place.” This line of chatter was entirely new to the big mogul and I can see he don’t know how to take it. Most of the clowns that ever drifted in for a job always gave him a spiel about wanting a position with a future regardless of present salary and would wind up tryin’ to jack a drawin’ account out of the old man. ‘This no-drawing-account— comes as such a shock to him that he got kind of wary and said, “ Where’d you work last?” ‘Well, I’m workin’ in a garage now, but I’m quittin’ in the morning. The last job IT had as a salesman was sellin’ meters for the Excelsior Gas Company of New York,” he snapped back, always on the quick. “Any references?” ““Didn’t think you’d need any in a place like this where you don’t get no salary and the lightest thing you could carry off weighs nearly a ton, unless you're afraid of me kidnapin’ one of them sleepin’ beauties out there,” pointing to the sales force outside. “Well, I'll write for references; come in in about a week,” Bowling said, tryin’ to get O’Malley out. J could see that he liked the kid, but he’s too fast for the old man’s thinker and the boss wanted to get by himself. But O’Malley crowded him all the harder. “Write?” he said. ‘You don’t mean to tell me they’re still writin’ in this town. TH say you’re behind the times. Write nothin’. Got a telegram blank here?” 949 He worked so fast at the old man that he took him off his feet and Bowling actually turned around, went to his desk and pulled out a pad of blanks and handed it to the Irishman, who took it out of his hand and read as he wrote—‘‘ Excelsior Gas Com- pany, New York. O’Malley applying for job. What kind of salesman is he? Southern Motor Company, New Orleans, La.” “How’s that?” he asked. “All right, I guess” said the old man, taking the telegram and still playin’ for time. O’Malley reached for the messenger call box and turned the switch. That got the old man dizzy. “You certainly have got speed, boy,” he said. “Yes, and what’s more, I got direction too. I know where I’m goin’.” And before the old man could answer he stuck out his mitt and said: “‘ Well, I start in to-morrow, don’t I?” ‘Tf the reference of your former employ- ers is satisfactory,” the boss answered, tak- ing his hand. The kid seemed to give Bowling the fever, for he actually got frisky enough to get up and come out to us. He’d seen all of us listenin’. ‘““T don’t know whether this man is going to sell any cars or not, but if he injects any of that pep into you fellows I'll be satisfied.” Not a sale in two days and fifty cars stored upstairs.” And he left us lookin’ like we needed @ weepin’ mat. ““He’s just. one of those nuts walking around loose,’ Ferdinand, the star sales- man of the shebang, said, referrin’ to O'Malley after the old man got back in his office. ‘“‘ You probably won’t see him again. You know anybody that thinks he can sell thirty cars in a month isn’t in his right senses. The most I ever sold was twelve.” II. Wert, Ferdinand was wrong, for O’Malley blew in early the next morning, brushed up and clean shaven though wearin’ the same outfit. I told him to sit down and wait for the boss. COnnicoooks.c©