ce-file the entire box of cigars
and forced them on his guests. He pushed their chairs two inches forward
and three inches back, which gave an hospitable note, then leaned
back in his desk-chair and looked plump and jolly. But he spoke to the
weakling grocer with firmness.

"Well, Brother Purdy, we been having some pretty tempting offers from
butchers and a slew of other folks for that lot next to your store,
but I persuaded Brother Lyte that we ought to give you a shot at the
property first. I said to Lyte, 'It'd be a rotten shame,' I said, 'if
somebody went and opened a combination grocery and meat market right
next door and ruined Purdy's nice little business.' Especially--"
Babbitt leaned forward, and his voice was harsh, "--it would be hard
luck if one of these cash-and-carry chain-stores got in there and
started cutting prices below cost till they got rid of competition and
forced you to the wall!"

Purdy snatched his thin hands from his pockets, pulled up his trousers,
thrust his hands back into his pockets, tilted in the heavy oak chair,
and tried to look amused, as he struggled:

"Yes, they're bad competition. But I guess you don't realize the Pulling
Power that Personality has in a neighborhood business."

The great Babbitt smiled. "That's so. Just as you feel, old man. We
thought we'd give you first chance. All right then--"

"Now look here!" Purdy wailed. "I know f'r a fact that a piece of
property 'bout same size, right near, sold for less 'n eighty-five
hundred, 'twa'n't two years ago, and here you fellows are asking me
twenty-four thousand dollars! Why, I'd have to mortgage--I wouldn't mind
so much paying twelve thousand but--Why good God, Mr. Babbitt, you're
asking more 'n twice its value! And threatening to ruin me if I don't
take it!"

"Purdy, I don't like your way of talking! I don't like it one little
bit! Supposing Lyte and I were stinking enough to want to ruin any
fellow human, don't you suppose we know it's to our own selfish interest
to have everybody in Zenith prosperous? But all this is beside
the point. Tell you what we'll do: We'll come down to twenty-three
thousand-five thousand down and the rest on mortgage--and if you want to
wreck the old shack and rebuild, I guess I can get Lyte here to loosen
up for a building-mortgage on good liberal terms. Heavens, man, we'd
be glad to oblige you! We don't like these foreign grocery trusts any
better 'n you do! But it isn't reasonable to expec