"He hesitated at that, and then I told him about a woman who bought one of these kitchen cabinets from a mail-order house, and, when she got it, it was all banged up, and she had no end of trouble in getting it straightened out, besides having to wait about six weeks before it came. She reckoned up afterward that if she had bought it of me she'd have been dollars in pocket and could have seen just what it looked like before buying it. That settled him, and he bought the stove from me!" That started me thinking, and, going home on the train, I had a talk with Mr. Barlow about it, and also about the question of credits, for these were the two things that impressed me most at the whole convention, although there were many other interesting things taken up. "I wonder," said I to Mr. Barlow, "whether it would be possible for us to kind of work together on credits--whether, if I were to tell you what customers owed me money, it would save you getting in badly with them, and you do the same with me?" I felt very nervous in making this proposition, for I didn't know whether it was proper or not. I had never given such things as credits or competition the least thought while I was working with Barlow. I was surprised and delighted at the fine way in which he said: "Why, certainly I will. Come up to the store and talk it over with me." I made an appointment with him for the following night to discuss a policy to adopt for mutual protection on credits, and also on fighting mail-order competition. I could not help thinking what a wonderful thing a convention is. I had learned more about business in those three days than I ever knew before. When I weighed the cost of going to the convention against the benefits I got out of it, I considered that I had made a good investment--not counting the happiness of a honeymoon! CHAPTER IX A GOOD PLAN BLOCKED I had promised to get to Barlow's as soon after eight as I could, and I was there at ten minutes past. Barlow welcomed me and led me to his office in the rear, and there I met with a surprise, for who should be sitting there in his office but Stigler, who ran the only other hardware store in town. Stigler didn't attempt to rise when I came in; but just nodded curtly and said, "Howdy?" I looked blank for a minute, and then said: "I see you are busy, Mr. Barlow. I'll come in again." "Sit right down, Dawson," he replied, "for if we are going to help each other on credits and on mail-order competition, we all need to get together, and it would not be fair for you and me to discuss this matter without asking Mr. Stigler's help also." "Well," said Stigler, "if you fellers can show me anything that'll save me a dollar, I'm on. But I'm from Missouri! K-ha!" His laugh was like the sound of a cork coming out of a bottle. Barlow then explained to him what we purposed doing. When he had finished, Stigler said: "Sounds pretty, all right, but how are yer goin' to do it?"