e, with not even a day's experience in any sort of merchandising to
his credit.

His next step was to buy ten yards of white cloth, a small paint brush,
and a can of paint. Ostentatiously he borrowed a stepladder and
stretched the cloth across the front of his store, from post to post.
Then, equally ostentatiously, he mounted the stepladder and began to
paint a sign. He was not unskilled in the business of lettering. The
sign, when completed, read:

CASH AND CUT PRICES IS MY MOTTO

Having completed this, he bought a pail, a mop, and a broom, and
proceeded to a thorough housecleaning of his premises.

Old Man Penny and Locker and the rest of the merchants were far from
oblivious to Scattergood's movements. No sooner had his sign appeared
than every merchant in town--excepting Junkin, the druggist, who sold
wall paper and farm machinery as side lines--went into executive session
in the back room of Locker's store.

"He means business," said Locker.

"Leased that store for five year," said Old Man Penny.

"Cash, and Cut Prices," quoted Atwell, "and you fellers know our folks
would pass by their own brothers to save a penny. He'll force us to cut,
too."

"Me--I won't do it," asserted Kettleman.

"Then you'll eat your stock," growled Locker.

"Fellers," said Atwell, "if this man gits started it's goin' to cost all
of us money. He'll draw some trade, even if he don't cut prices. Safe to
figger he'll git a sixth of it. And a sixth of the business in this
region is a pretty fair livin'. If he goes slashin' right and left,
nobody kin tell how much trade he'll draw."

"We should 'a' leased that store between us. Then nobody could 'a' come
in."

"But we didn't. And it's goin' to cost us money. If he puts in clothing
it'll cost me five hundred dollars a year in profits, anyhow. Maybe
more. And you other fellers clost to as much."

"But we can't do nothin'."

"We can buy him off," said Atwell.

The meeting at that moment became noisy. Epithets were applied with
freedom to Scattergood, and even to Atwell, for these were not men who
loved to part with their money. However, Atwell showed them the economy
of it. It was either for them to suffer one sharp pang now, or to endure
a greater dragging misery. They went in a body to call upon Scattergood.

"Howdy, neighbors!" Scattergood said, genially.

"We're the merchants of this town," said Old Man Penny, shortly.

"So I judged," said Scattergood.

"There's mer