Square, with large plate-glass windows, and underneath the windows,
big brass signs.

"Nothing doing," said the floorwalker, as I asked for the job of
cleaning them; nevertheless, when he turned his back, I dropped on my
knees and cleaned a square foot--did it inside of a minute.

"Say, boss," I said, "look here! I'm desperately hard up. I want to
make money, and I want to make it honestly. I will clean that entire
sign for a nickle."

It was pity that moved him to give me the job, and when it was
completed, I offered to do the other one. "All right," he said; "go
ahead."

"But this one," I said, "will cost you a dime."

"Why a nickle for this one and a dime for the other?" he asked.

"Well," I said, "we are just entering business. In the first case I
charged you merely for the work done; in the second, I charge you for
the idea."

"What idea?" he inquired.

"The idea that cleanliness is part of any business man's capital."

"Well, go ahead."

When both signs were polished I offered to do the big plate-glass