“There isn’t any profit, sir,” Tom answered. “But the customer gets what he wants, sir. It doesn’t cost us anything and maybe we keep the man’s trade. If we tell him we’re out of a certain thing, he might go to Bullard’s or Stevens and Green’s for it and keep on going there.” Mr. Wright said “Humph!” and rattled a pen-holder. Mr. Cummings, however, nodded. “You’re right, Tom,” he said. “That’s well reasoned. You evidently think it pays to please your customers, eh?” “Yes, sir; don’t you?” asked Tom innocently. “I do.” Mr. Cummings smiled. “But lots of employés don’t, son. You keep on with that notion. It’s a good one. And whenever you can find something at another store that we haven’t got you get it. Have them make out a bill for it and get your money from Miss Miller. That right, Horace?” “I guess so,” answered Mr. Wright. “Seems to me, though, we’d ought to have the thing and not be buying from other hardware stores.” “Bless us, we can’t keep everything folks ask for! Nobody can. But, as Tom here says, there’s no need to let folks know it!” It was a day or two later that Tom was again summoned to the office in a slack period. Mr. Cummings was there alone. “Sit down a minute, Tom,” he said. “I want to talk about that department of yours. It’s done pretty well this winter. Did you know it?” “I thought maybe it had,” answered Tom modestly. “I know we sold a good deal, sir.” “We certainly did. And the profits in those goods are high, too. Now, look here, why don’t we go into the thing in earnest? I’ve talked to Mr. Wright about it and he’s agreeable. Why not put in a regular sporting goods department, eh? Aren’t there lots of things boys use in summer as well as winter?” “Oh, yes, sir! You see, they’ll begin playing baseball pretty soon; and golf, too, although I don’t know if there’s much of that played around here.” “Of course there is! There are three clubs within ten miles of town. What else?” “I guess that’s all, sir, in summer, isn’t it?” “You ought to know better than I, son. Well, could we sell bats and balls and golf things, do you think?” “I don’t see why not,” replied Tom eagerly. “I’m sure the high school fellows would get their things here if they knew we kept them.” “We’ll advertise then. We’ll announce in the papers that we’ve added a sporting goods department, eh?” “Yes, sir, and I think it would pay to put a small advertisement in the _Brown-and-Blue_.” “That’s the school paper?” “Yes, sir, the monthly. Fellows would be sure to see it and, besides, they like to trade with firms who--who patronise the paper.” “All right, we’ll do that, too. Now I’m going to put this up to you, Tom. You take right hold. Get in touch with the dealers, get their catalogues, find out their trade prices and make up a list of what we want to start out with. I wouldn’t go in very heavy as to quantity just at first. We’ll find out how we stand, I guess, before we plunge very deep. But get a good assortment of stuff.” “Yes, sir.”