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“You sold him next time?” asked one of the boys.

“You bet your life I did,” said Ed. “That man’s word was good.”

“He was a splendid old gentleman,” spoke up another one of the boys.

“Yes,” said the clothing man, “I haven’t been there for four or five years. He used to have a lovely little girl that sometimes came down to the store with him.”

“Well,” broke in Ed, “I’m glad that somebody besides myself has a good opinion of her for she is to be my wife next month.”

“Well, good luck to you and lots of happiness,” chimed in all the boys.

“When once you get the good will of one of those southerners,” remarked the wallpaper man, “you have it for all time. I don’t wish to wave the bloody shirt–I am a northerner, myself–but these northern houses somehow don’t know how to handle the southern trade. I travel down in Louisiana and Mississippi, and I really dodge every time that one of my customers tells me he is going into the house. Once I started a customer down in the Bayou country. I was getting along well with him and he was giving me a share of his business. One season, however, he came into the house. I didn’t know anything about this until I was down there on my next trip. I went to see him, as usual, expecting at least to get a fair order, but when I asked him to come over to my sample room he said, ‘Now, Jack, I’d really like to go oveh and do some business but I’ve already bought my goods. I was in to see yo’ house and when I asked the young man at the do’h to see the membahs of yo’ firm, he went away fo’ a minute or two and when he came back, he said, without bein’ at all polite about it, “They’re busy.” I didn’t say anything mo’h to the young man but I turned on my heel and went out the do’h. It made me so mad that I do believe the spahks flew right out of me. I made up my mind I wouldn’t have anythin’ mo’h to do with such people and that I would buy mah wall papah in New Yo’k when I got down theah. Now, I’m mighty sorry about this, Jack, but I really cyan’t pat’onize a conce’n that treated me wuss’n a niggeh.’

“I tried to explain that the members of my firm were very busy, and that they would have been only too glad to see him had they known who he was, but I couldn’t do anything with the old gentleman because, he said, that he didn’t wish to deal with people that would treat anybody that way. He said he thought every man should at least receive gentlemanly treatment.”

“And you bet he’s right about that,” spoke up one of the boys.

“Yes, he was,” said Jack. “Still it was hard for me to let go. I of course didn’t say anything more about business to him but there wasn’t much going on that day, although it was Saturday, and we visited quite a while. You know they always have chairs in the back end of stores down south and a customer who comes in to buy something is always asked to have a seat before anything is said about business. It’s a good, old sociable way and although it’s a little slow, I like it. Traveling is pleasant in the south, whether a man does business or not, because he always receives courteous treatment.

“As we were talking along I asked the old gentleman where his little girl was that I had seen around the store on previous trips.

“‘Well, Jack,’ said he, ‘I’m pow’ful sorry to tell you but I’m afraid she’s a cripple for life. A hoss threw her and stepped on her leg an’ broke it ve’y badly neah the knee. She has her knee now in a plaster Paris cast but I’m afraid she’ll be lame as long as she lives.’