"MAC" AND THE BOOK AGENT.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11637, 15 August 1905, Page 2

"MAC" AND THE BOOK AGENT.

A gentleman who has just returned to Wanganui from a trip to the East Coast informs us that Napier is just now laughing consumedly over the wiles of a pushful book agent, and the cool way in which he victimised a well-known storekeeper there who is popularly known by the Caledonian sobriquet of "Mac." The purveyor of literature, arriving one morning at "Mac's" shop, accosted him affably, frankly confessed himself "one of those nuisances known as book agents," and announced that the volume he held under his arm would give information on all known diseases, "from the croup in children to the pip in fowls." Mac was unimpressed, but in order to get rid of the tormentor, told him to go and see Mrs Mac, and if she w,ere satisfied with the disease-curing production she could buy it. Whereupon Mr Book-agent conceived, and proceeded to put into instant execution, a very neat little plan of campaign. Proceeding to Mrs Mac's recidence, he told that lady that her husband had sent him with the' book, and wished her to buy it. The lady very dutifully complied with what she believed to be her husband's wishes, and paying over a good golden guinea, sat down to consider whether she would first study croup or "pip." Meanwhile the enterprising one, extracting another book from his bag, tucked it under his arm, and once more sallied out to waylay Mac. "Mr Mac," he said, "your wife is very pleased with the book, and wishes you to buy it." Mac, thinking that a domestic storm would probably follow non-compliance with his wife's wishes, ruefully gave in, and sighingly handed over his guinea also. What followed when he got home and found that his household was plus two medical books, while his exchequer was minus £2 2s, can better be imagined than described. He, however, finally accepted the situation in a philosophical spirit, and decided to look, on his good money as gone. Next morning, however, he saw a sight which inspired him with the hope that he might yet get even with the enemy. This was no other than the book agent himself, on his way to the railway station in a cab. Having important business on hand, Mac. called to a neighbouring expressman, and told him to follow the cab, interview the "literary gent," and tell him that Mr Mac wanted 'to see him, and that it would be to his interest to come at once. The carter obeyed his instructions to the letter. But our friend Mac had signally failed to gauge the depth of guile in the book fiend's character, or the readiness of resource with, which he proved to be so bounteously endowed. Smiling an expansive andj engaging smile at the carter, he exclaimed in honeyed accents, "Dear me, Mr Mac ! I had clean forgotten. I have a book for him. Meet unfortunate I must gr«* airay by this train. But tell you what I'll do. Here! Take this book to him. The price is a, guinea. You give me that much, and Mr Mac will pay you. It's alright." Lulled by the bookman's winning manner into a state of complete and unshaken confidence in mankind, the expressman pulled out twenty-one shillings from his pocket, handed it over, took the book, and hied him back to Mac. with a consciousness of duty well done. The book agent, etill wearing his sweet smile, went off in the train to work fresh fields and pastures new. But what Mac. said when his carter friend returned with a third book on the euro of croup and pip, with a demand for a third guinea, is better left unrecorded, though a furious gal* which shortly after sprang up, and raged along the whole length of the East Coast, is popularly supposed to have been caused by the disturbance in the atmosphere caused by the intensity of his emotion. This much we an© credibly informed, that he has erected a gallows at the rear of his shop for the speedy extinction of all book agents who may in future attempt to take him down.