The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 163: what you’re looking at

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

THE NEW MAN'S DILEMMA. by six o’clock that evening to equal the lowest of the other salesmen’s work. It seemed an impossible task. But Barlow set his teeth and came out of his lurking-place as nine o’clock struck. He was a fighter from away back, he was, and he wouldn’t give up till the last ditch! Maybe the spell, whatever it was, that had kept customers away from him for five days now would break. But it didn’t. By ten o’clock Barlow noticed that the store had filled up almost to ca- pacity. Besides himself, of course, there was only one salesman who was idle. Now, if somebody would come in, it would have to be that other clerk or Barlow himself whom the customer would select to wait on him. A man entered. Before the lad in uniform, who was stationed there, had had time to close the door behind this entrant, Barlow was down upon him. “Ts there anything I can do for you, sir?” The stranger looked at him. Then his eyes roved over the busy store— and fell on the other clerk who wasn’t engaged. “No, thank you,’ the customer answered, passing on. “I'll just talk to’that fellow over there. I guess he'll give me what I want!” | Once more! But, before he had time to vent his anger in dark thoughts over this turndown, Barlow perceived another stranger entering the front door. Now this time, surely, he couldn’t be sidestepped. Every last one of the other salesmen was busy. “Good morning, sir!” Barlow greeted this second customer. “ You wanted to see something in a nice shoe—”’ The person glanced at him. Then he, too, looked over the shop. “ One of the other clerks,” he mur- mured. “Sorry, sir, but they’re all busy. You'll have to take me! I’m the only one who can wait:on you! You’ve—” 149 The customer checked his breathless speech. “Then Dll wait till some one of them is disengaged!” he said, his jaw firm, walking over to the first row of seats and planting himself down in one. Well! But here came still another cus- tomer. “Ts there any particular salesman you want to have wait on you?” Bar- low demanded of this man, coming up behind him. “Why, no; any one will do!” said the latter, turning. “I just want a pair of high russet shoes in a hurry, and—” And he turned around face to face with Barlow. “Yes, sir, right this way!” said the young man. “T’ll fix you up—” “Er—wait a minute!’ stammered the other. ‘ [—aren’t there any other clerks to attend to me? ”’ Barlow’s chin stuck out. “No, sir, there are not!” he replied. “ They’re every one of them busy, and there’s a waiting-list!’’ with a vicious glance at the man who was sitting in the first row of seats. “Well, I—I’m sorry, then!” said the fellow, backing away. ‘I haven’t got time to wait. I—I guess I don’t want to buy anything to-day, anyhow. Good morning! ”’ And he walked out of the store with- out another word. Barlow gasped for breath. Three inarow! Not one of whom would let him have anything to do with them. Oh, it was maddening! He walked over toward the front door to get a breath of air. He felt choking, suffocated with wrath. But he had made up his mind; the next customeér to enter the place would have to tell him what all this business meant! If he manifested my disincli- nation to be waited on by Barlow, then Barlow would have it out with him. One was coming up to the door now. Barlow moved closer to the entrance to be ready to meet him. CoOMmicbook C©