Sam Lambert and the New Way Store | Page 4

and sharpening short lead-pencils, and he was great on buying brooms.
His effect on the store was one of immediate and prevalent blight.
You may wonder why the boys did not complain of conditions to Sam, but Lem was manager--and there is something so virtuous and convincing about a first-class retrencher. His wise saws and thrifty sayings are infectious and he makes everybody so low-spirited that they are ready to catch anything.
No more good window displays--tacks, colored cheesecloth and other accessories cost money, and the sun was bad for the goods.
No more trim on the counters and shelves.
Stop the high-power electric light in front of the store and reduce the lamps inside.
These things did not all occur at once, but so gradually that it was hard to realize just what had happened to the store.
The windows got streaky and the inside of the store looked dingy and cold.
Then the conservative spirit got into the buying. Nothing but black cheviots with a few drab and gray worsteds.
Perhaps it was just as well, for when a customer came into the store and saw Stucker he thought it was raining outside.
Sam Lambert had always prided himself on keeping alive what he called the "buying spirit" in the store.
Nowadays a customer got a sense of caution. The feeling was one of disapproval of all extravagance.
Instead of purchasing a suit, the man wondered where his next month's rent was coming from, bought a pair of cottonade pants and hurried home.
Trade fell off steadily. Affairs went on this way for a twelvemonth and then something happened.
Two of Sam's principal competitors were reported to be remodeling their stores--and what was more, they were going to put in wardrobe systems and carry all their garments on hangers.
This aroused Sam and he made an immediate investigation.
He found that one of the stores had contracted for the old type of wooden wall cabinets where the clothes hung behind panelled doors.
But the other was installing glass wardrobes, where the stock would be on view.
This discovery cut Sam like a knife.
He investigated further, and was delighted to find that his wardrobe competitor, with the temptation to save a few dollars, had ordered a second-rate type of glass wardrobe, with pull-out rods that swing inside the case, without a locking device to prevent them from breaking the glass.
Without saying anything to Stucker he telegraphed the best wardrobe concern in the country to send their representative at once.
CHAPTER III.
At eleven o'clock the following day a quiet man wearing double-lens spectacles and a pre-occupied air came into the store, asked for Mr. Lambert and was directed to the rear where Stucker was showing Sam the wisdom of leaving the night covers over the black goods during the day to protect the stock from dust.
Sam was so keyed up on the wardrobe question that he heard only about half that Stucker was saying.
When the man with the spectacles arrived Sam guessed his mission without waiting for a word of greeting.
"You," said Sam, "are here to talk wardrobes; let's see what you've got."
"Before I talk wardrobes, or, if you please, the New Way system," began the salesman, "I would prefer to get a fair idea of the amount and kind of stock you carry and how you care for it now."
"Just as I thought," interrupted Stucker. "You're afraid our stock is too big for your wardrobe capacity.
"Well, I don't want to discourage you, but when you count the suits on the table, don't forget to add about 50 dozen pair of knee pants and odd trousers stored in case-goods boxes under the tables.
"Remember too, that when you take the tables out, you must find another place for our last years sweaters, mufflers, caps, gloves and underwear, as well as all our advance stock of shirts, hosiery and ties which we keep under the tables because we have no room for them on our side shelving. You can see it is piled to the ceiling now; and all that on top is active stock."
"That reminds me, Mr. Stucker, of a joke your friend Jones, over at Dennisville, played on Sakes, his partner.
"Before we remodelled their store, they had a lot of money tied up in stock piled under the tables like you have. Most of it was odds and ends--left overs of many seasons that Jones knew even a clearance sale would not clean up.
"He inventoried the lot and shipped 72 dozen pair of knee pants to New York, and wrote the auctioneer to send a check for whatever amount they brought.
"The funny part of it, Sakes never discovered that the stock was gone until about three weeks later, when he noticed a check in the mail and asked Jones what it was for.
"You can do the same thing, Mr. Stucker, with your stock under the tables, and the check