"You owe those jobbers only $1,079.00 that is actually overdue," he replied, "and that's really the only pressing debt you have. Let's see--you have now $328.00 balance to your credit in the bank. A thousand dollars is all you need. Now, I'll let you have that much. You can then pay off those jobbers, and still have a balance of about $250.00 on your account. You should not let it get below that figure. Your stock is far too heavy for your turn-over, and I think the best thing you can do is to find some way of turning your surplus stock into cash, and you must absolutely cease giving wild credit." "I've done that already," I said, and told him in detail what I had done. "That's excellent," he replied, "and I'm glad to know that you have put that into force. You must, however, reduce your stock. Much better for you to lose a little business for the next few months, and get yourself on a sound financial basis, than to be skating, as you are, on thin ice." He looked over my list of accounts that were owing to me, and, putting a mark against a number of them, he said: "Those people are tricksters. You'll only waste your time trying to get anything from them." Great Scott! And I had thought, when I was working for Barlow, that I could run his business as well as he could! Mr. Barlow, I then and there went on record as saying that you were a bigger man than I was, and that I took my hat off to you! I wonder if all employees have the same all-fired conceit in regard to their abilities that I had had? If they have, I advise them to try running a store for a little while! It isn't enough just to be a business man--you have got to be an expert on mechanics, a diplomat, a financier, a master salesman, an accountant, a lawyer, an advertising man--whew! if I had known of the difficulties of running a store I think I would have hesitated a long while before assuming the burden! Well, the loan was fixed up and I went back to the store, and in a little while Mr. Peck came back. I gave him his check, saying rather coldly: "That cleans the account up to date, Mr. Peck." "Yes," he responded. "And now your credit is as good with us as it was before." I still looked unresponsive, and then he took me by the arm, and brought me to the rear of the store. "Listen, young man," he said--his manner was very kindly. "If you ever really need money, you will find we will be quite willing to help you in reason; but you really didn't need it this time, you know, and I wanted to give you a lesson in thrift and financing, and to impress it seriously on your mind.