SHE COLLECTED THE ACCOUNT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3711, 21 December 1912, Page 27

SHE COLLECTED THE ACCOUNT.

(By Mary D. Jennings.) When Reinhart was in business he sold a- man named Merritt some goods that were never paid for. Reinhart sent a collector after him, and the man came back with a black eye. He sent another man, and lie came back with a broken jaw. 'Reinhart found it impossible to got any more collectors after that, for he felt in honor to tell them that Merritt was a fighting. man and sent every collector back with some damage instead of the amount due.

One day a young woman came into Reinhart’s store and asked him,if lie had any bad debts to give her for collection. She was pretty, and a good-natured smile continually played about her red lips, just like a humming bird flitting near a flower. Suddenly a bright thought struck Reinhart. He would give this girl

a compromise of the account at 50 cents on the dollar. Merrit dismissed her, saying that he thought 50 cents on the dollar quite enough to pay under the circumstances and Miss A nth on took her departure, again leaving her smile behind her. A fortnight passed, and she had not called again. Merritt missed her. One day lie met her on the street and asked her when she was coming to receive payment for the compromise amount of the Reinhart bill. She told him that Reinhart wanted the full amount of the bill, with the interest. “Well, come in and talk it over, he said. The next day Merritt was revived by a call from the collector- It seemed tliat he had been living at the north pole in December and with her entrance he had been transferred to the land of the never-setting sun. To shorten a long story, Merritt agreed to pay the full amount of the account on instalments. Miss Antlion called for the instalments, giving a, receipt and a smile for each. For the last installment she rave him a kiss and he gave her an engagement ring.