The Romance and Tragedy | Page 7

was most unsatisfactory to me, for while of course it was a much
larger income than I had ever before earned, it was so far below my
expectations that I could not but feel keen disappointment.

Still, I knew that I now possessed a business, and as the prospects were
good I started the new year with courage and the determination to make
a better showing.
Early in the year two incidents occurred that helped me immensely.
The largest consumers in our line were the oil refiners, all of whom
have since been absorbed by the Standard Oil Company.
These concerns were heavy buyers, and Mr. Thomas Derham had the
preference on their business. From the first I had struggled to get a
share of it, without having made them, after a year of constant effort, a
single sale. Still, I made a daily call on each and finally secured my
first order.
It was given to me by Mr. J. A. Bostwick personally, and the order was
so large I could scarcely believe I had captured it. This was the entering
wedge, and throughout the year, although not getting more than a very
small proportion of the business, I succeeded in selling occasionally to
all of the refiners.
The other incident was even more important in its results, for it was the
commencement of intimate relations with the important firm which
stood at the head of the trade.
This firm had up to that time shown a decided favoritism for my chief
competitor, but this feeling changed in consequence of investments in a
mining stock, both by the firm and by its most active individual
member, which they had been led into through the influence of my
competitor.
The investment proved disastrous, resulting in losses of more than a
hundred thousand dollars, and though this sum was insignificant to
people of such large wealth, the feeling of bitterness aroused was most
acute.
My competitor had for many years as a Boston correspondent the firm
of W. B. Tatnall & Company, and through it a large business was done

with the Boston dealers; but the most important phase of this
connection was the fact that Tatnall controlled the selling of a certain
commodity imported in large quantities by a Boston firm, and of which
the leading firm in New York was the largest buyer.
Tatnall & Company had severed abruptly its connection with my
competitor, and without my solicitation made me a proposition which I
promptly accepted. The competing firm immediately established in
Boston as its correspondent a brother of the senior partner.
The first battle for supremacy came over the sale of a cargo due to
arrive at Boston by a sailing vessel. This was before the days of the
telephone, and numerous telegrams passed between us before the
transaction was closed.
When the final message confirming the sale reached me, it read as
follows: "Closed, contracts coming, competitors conquered,
congratulations, cocktails, cigars, careful contemplation."
In a feeling of exuberance Tatnall had written this telegram, and by his
closing words meant me to remember that "one swallow does not make
a summer," and that over-confidence on the occasion of a first success
would be unwise.
Mr. W. B. Tatnall came to New York a few days later. It was our first
meeting and I found him a delightful man, a typical Bostonian. He was
highly cultured, well up in art, a book-collector of some repute.
I recall one little incident of his visit which amused me greatly. The
weather was very stormy and his salutation on greeting me was,
"Good-morning Mr. Stowe; fine day for birds of an aquatic nature."
We called on all the trade, and in every office he made the same remark.
Before the day was over I concluded I was not likely ever to forget that
rain makes "a fine day for ducks."
CHAPTER IV

AND THE ANSWER WAS "YES"

Although when I left Miss Wilson on that evening in July it was not as
an accepted lover, as I had brought myself to believe it would be, and
my disappointment was overwhelming that such was the case, my heart
told me that all was not lost.
She had admitted that she admired and respected me more than any
other man of her acquaintance, while she did not feel the love for me
that a woman should give to the man she marries.
This admission I deemed a great point gained.
With a field cleared of rivals, it only remained to transform her
admiration and respect into love. How to do that was for me to find out.
That it could be done I felt reasonably certain.
It was my first love-affair, hence I was an amateur in such matters. This
I knew was a point in