Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 January 1917 — “Dynamo -Plus!” [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

“Dynamo -Plus!”

By GEORGE ELMER COBB

(Copyright. 1816, by W fc G. Chapman.) i„ , _ ... ■ “ 'Dynamo-plus J’ —that expresses the MAfo mon. t!....AKoai)VMi.. thoi luninr tvqrt* lltfW mail, Uu““l tcu tiitr juutvi F*»* v ner of Farrar & Co., department store, River City. “You mean?” insinuated the more ■conservative Mr. Robert Farrar, senior partner and founder of the business. “That I have found a man for you who will fill your store, sell your goods and make the ‘square deal’ look like an old three-eent piece.” “A prodigy, eh?” “They say so. He comes high—five thousand a yeajf—but he’s made a fortunff'for Mr old employers.” "What did he leave them for?” “Says he wants to build up, not stand stilL They got so big they couldn’t go any further, so he struck out for new pastures.” -—- "H’m!” observed Mr. Farrar. “Let It all be your doing—l don’t know as I approve. And what about young Stevens? He’s suited us well enough until you brought home from Chicago these grand expansive ideas of yours:” “Why—er, well, Stevens will have to be subordinate.” “He’s not the man to stand it.” "Then let him go.” Just that came about. Advised of the new plans of the house with which he had been for seven years and had helped build up, Roy Stevens courteously gave notice of his resignation. ~ Mr. Farrar was growing old, Mr. Robbins had put quite some capital into the business and had really done some j* ■*wer '-' • - .

brilliant things. He was “a live wire” as a buyer. He bought close and his purchases always brought a profit. Mr. Farrar was forced to concede that his junior partner was proving himself a valuable adjunct to the business. ♦♦Take your own, wax.” said the sen- . lor, with a sigh. “Only—l don’t consider -this dismissal of Stevens at all fair.” -....-v. Neither did Roy Stevens, but he said little and did not act at all discomposed. Pretty Leila Farrar, the petted daughter of the old merchant, scolded her father roundly. Then she went to her room and had a good ery over it. For she and Roy had become very close friends, The- marvelous “Dynamo-plus” was Guy Vandeventer and he arrived in River City with a vast flourish of trumpets. He was a model in the way of dress, suave, keen of glance, sharp and short as to converse. His first move was to secure the best suite of apartments at the principal hotelV his next to order a showy automobile, his next to go through the extensive department store i and criticize most of its methods. “Front" was his specialty and he certainly, impressed the community as to appearance and loftiness * in that respect. One being in what he secretly dubbed “the half-baked society of a second rate town” appealed to his refined taste as full perfection. This was Leila. No wonder of that, for she was the belle of the district and fully deserved the distinction. Again, she was an only child, the family, coffers were well filled according jto local repute, and as Leila was courteous to all and as Vandeventer fancied himself Irresistible, it was soon hinted about that the handsome pair were just as good as engaged. “Booming like a field gun!" was the enthusiastic announcement of Robbins to his partner. “Never so many people in our store at one time as last Saturday. Vandeventer attended to the advertising and the bands, and all that. The free dish of ice cream and cake caught the community." “Yes, but how about the sales?” queried Mr. Farrar, none too greatly impressed by the sensational stunt Indicated. “Oh, that will come later. All we expected wif*-T6 get the crowd coming , our way. Wait till next week—one first popular bargain sale.” Certainly the “Dynamo-plus" made « great,deal of noise, spread printer’s ink out everywhere and attracted a

vast throng. It appeared that Vandeventer had induced Robbins to’bay up a great ’job lot of cheap brooms. The price was low, but the quality of the gobds was also. Everybody bought a broom, to discover that they lasted about a week, when the rotten cord securing the wisps broke, letting out the straws promiscuously. It was Vandeventer who had purchased the brooms. In fact he had invaded the department of Robbin. They had become great chums. They went to the buying marts together, and it began to be hinted about town that they were indulging in some pretty lively doings while away from home community restraint. Mr. Farrar was confined to the house wiffiafi Injured ltmb during these business spurts, and Vandeventer took advantage of the fact to call frequently, avowedly solicitous for his health, but in reality to get closer to his daughter*, and heiress. Roy saw little of Leila, although he constantly thought of her. He had no antagonism for his former employers, but in view of some plans he was car** rying out Roy adeemed it etljlcal to merely courteously pass the time of day with them as future competitors. For some sudaen fortune had come to Roy. An old aunt, dying, had left him several -thousand dollars and* Roy proceeded to invest it in a business. He was watching and analyzing Farrar and Company and the gquare lPeal. Both, he observed, were retrograding as, to quality and utility of the merchandise they carried. When one store got up a special bargain sale, their rival put forward one better. Farrar and Company made a vast flare on tack hammers. The Square Deal came forward with a patent bread knife. The tack hammer broke very readily and the break knife bent, and the deluded public began to. weary of these ' bargain delusions. Then one day Farrar and Company and the Square Deal sat up and took notice. Behold! in the same square an empty store suddenly bloomed forth into merchandise plentitude and freshly painted sign read: “Roy Stevens and Quality, Inc.” Neat posters placed all about town announced the establishment of a store where, no matter how low priced an article offered might be, Its quality would be always of the best of its class, with a distinct line drawn at-the shoddy and useless grade. Roy Stevens and Quality, Inc„ went with a boom. The “live wire” tactics of the “Dynamo-plus” specialist went stale. Mr. Farrar, conservative old line merchant that he was, fumed and fretted in his invalidism over the prestige fast departing from business he had founded, for the new-store throve and as it won its established clientele it held it. “Got to do something to get the crowd away from Stevens,” said Vandeventer to Robbins one day, and forthwith hired a wandering circus troupe and announced free tickets for every person purchasing up to a dollar from Farrar and Company. Vandeventer had been paying attentive court to Leila, little dreaming that her thoughts were faithfully centered on the only man she really loved. Leila was at the circus its first performance. A violent storm came up. Vanderventer, at her side, made good his own escape as a baby cyclone blew down the canvas. Roy sprang to her rescue, saved her from being crushed by a heavy pole by holding it across his shoulders until assistance came. The story of Vandeventer’s base desertion of Miss Farrar In a moment of peril got out. He faded from town, for Mr. Farrar, calling bis sensational partner to the carpet, insisted on a resumption of the old standard ways. “I knew that you would win out!” declared Leila to Roy two months later, and she glanced proudly at the engagement ring on her finger and smiled loyally at the new partner in Farrar and Company. . ■ ■ o

He Was a Model in the Way of Dress.