worth any dozen others in the place, and you let him be fired by
a mongrel superintendent."

"But, Papa," protested the vice-president, "the superintendent
had to obey the rules. You know how strict the underwriters are
about smoking. Of course he should have warned Gissing, instead
of discharging him "

"Rules!" interrupted old Beagle fiercely--"Rules don't apply in a
case like this. I tell you that fellow has a genius for
storekeeping. Haven't I watched him on the floor? I've never seen
one like him. What's the good of your newfangled methods, your
card indexes and overhead charts, when you haven't even got a
record of his address?"

Growling and showing his teeth, the head of the firm plodded
stiffly downstairs and discharged the superintendent himself.
Already he saw signs of disorganization in the main aisle. Miss
Whippet was tearful: customers were waiting impatiently to have
exchange slips O. K.'d: Mrs. Dachshund was turning over some
jewelled lorgnettes, but it was plain that she was only
"looking," and had no intention to purchase.

So when, after many vain inquiries, the advertisement reached its
target, the old gentleman welcomed Gissing with genuine emotion.
He received him into his private office, locked the door, and
produced a decanter. Evidently beneath his irritable moods he had
sensibilities of his own.

"I have given my life to trade," he said, "and I have grown weary