I mustn't forget about those seven store windows which I had hired and trimmed. It set the whole town talking; and the funny part of it was that many people seemed to think I was opening new stores all over the place. The first inkling I got of this was when Blickens, the president of the bank, dropped in, and said: "Young man, what's this talk I hear about your opening new stores?" I told him and that seemed to reassure him. "Just the same," he asked, "that's pretty expensive, isn't it?" "Well, if you call $20.00 expensive for two weeks' display in seven windows, yes, but I think it's remarkably cheap." "Do you mean to tell me that that's all it has cost you?" "That's all." "Well, I congratulate you." And he left the store. I think his opinion of me was a few notches higher. Stigler opened up his new store on schedule time, and I had to admit that he had a splendid window display. He had hired a professional window trimmer from a Providence department store to come up and trim the windows for him, and he had done a swell job. He had the window full of all kinds of kitchen goods, everything ten cents. He even had a line of tin buckets, which I knew cost him more than that. I was looking the place over from my own store--you know it was right next door to me,--I was out on the doorstep, looking at his window, when I saw Stigler walking toward the door. My first impulse was to turn away, but I realized that, if I did, he would think I was spying on him, so I held my ground. "Well, Neighbor," he said with his usual sneer, when he came outside, "havin' a look at what a real store looks like for a change?" Now, ordinarily my impulse would have been to get mad, but that time for some reason or other I didn't. Instead, I said calmly: "I was just thinking, Friend Stigler, what a remarkable philanthropist you are." "Good value, eh?" he returned, sneeringly. "Excellent," I replied; "in fact, I'm thinking of hiring a lot of women to go in and buy some of your things for ten cents and put 'em in my store to sell over for a quarter." I saw a shrewd expression pass over his face. "Huh, if you'd only buy right, you could sell right yourself." "Exactly what I think," I laughed. "Say, Stigler, you make me smile. Do you think you'll be able to get away with that kind of stuff for long? They'll come and buy your under-cost goods, but they won't buy the rest." Stigler turned sharply until he directly faced me. His features were distorted and twitching with rage and his face was pasty white. What he said would have cost him a big fine if he had been working for me! And I laughed in his face, and turned and walked away. I learned something really valuable then. I learned that, by keeping my own temper, I made the other fellow lose his; and for the first time I realized that Stigler was probably more worried over my competition than I was over his.