THE OSTRICH FEATHER
When Skinner entered the office of McLaughlin & Perkins, Inc., two days
later, he found that the partners had arranged a reception committee of
two to welcome him.
Both shook hands cordially and McLaughlin said, "Skinner, we're not
only convinced that you're a thoroughly honest and methodical man"--he
glanced knowingly at Perking--"but that you're a very able man as well.
We--"
Skinner cut him short. "Mr. McLaughlin, do I get the ostrich feather?"
"You do, indeed,--and I'm only sorry that the great auk is dead!"
Skinner blushed. "You don't know how good you 've made me feel, really
you don't--giving me this chance to show what I could do."
"You had your chance and you showed what you could do, all right,"
McLaughlin broke in. He paused, then, "Now, tell us, Skinner, how did
you do it?"
Skinner hesitated. "I'd rather not."
"Why?" said McLaughlin. "Ain't you got it patented?"
"Secret process," said Skinner.
"It's more than that, it's an _effective_ process. But what's
important to us, Skinner, is--could you work it on other folks besides
Jackson?"
"Yes--that is, most other men--middle-aged men."
"Why middle-aged men?"
"Because they're married--most middle-aged men are."
McLaughlin turned to Perkins. "I'm darned if he ain't gone and mashed
the climber. That's what I think!"
Skinner thrust his hands into his pockets, walked over to the window,
then turned and slowly came back to within a few feet of where
McLaughlin was sitting.
"On my way back from St. Paul, Mr. McLaughlin," he said--and Perkins,
recognizing the premonitory symptoms, crossed to the window and stood
with his back to his partner and "the cage man"--"Mr. McLaughlin,"
Skinner repeated after a pause, "I've been thinking that the most
valuable man to any concern is the one that gets the business for it."
"Right-o!" said McLaughlin.
"And the hardest man to get," Skinner went on, "is the customer you get
back. You not only have to pry him loose from some other concern with
better figures, but you have his personal pride to overcome. To come
back is a surrender."
"All of which means that you expect a raise, eh, Skinner?"
"I was only going to suggest--"
"You don't have to suggest. We've already decided to raise you
twenty-five dollars a week. How does that strike you? Just as a mark
of appreciation."
"I can't see any appreciation in it unless you take me out of the
cage--for this reason," said Skinner. "As a 'cage man' I'm not worth
much more than I 've been getting. In order to earn that extra
twenty-five dollars a week I 've got to have a chance to show what I
can do further. Take me out of the cage."
"Skinner," said McLaughlin, "you didn't for a minute think that we were
going to keep a man that could pull off such a trick as that in a cage,
did you? We're going to make you a salesman."
The idea of going on the road did n't appeal to Skinner.
"To be frank, Mr. McLaughlin, I want something better than that."
"Better?"
"Yes. I want to be put in charge of the sales department. You see, I
not only know the business from beginning to end, but I want to show
our salesmen that selling goods means something more than rattling off
a list of what you've got, dilating like a parrot. I want to teach
them the value of knowledge of the personal equation and how to apply
that knowledge effectively. Does n't that telegram from Jackson show
that I know something about it?"
"What do you think of Skinner's proposition?" McLaughlin said to the
junior partner.
Perkins turned and came back to the table. "Skinner seems to have the
goods."
"Mr. McLaughlin," Skinner urged, "it is n't that I feel big about what
I've done, it is n't that I think I know more than anybody else, but
I've had ideas about things I've always wanted to put into practice.
When you sent me out to St. Paul, I formulated a little scheme of
attack on Jackson, and you saw how it worked. I think that entitles my
opinion to some respect. I've got the good of this concern at heart
and I want to show what can be done along original lines."
McLaughlin looked at Perkins and Perkins nodded affirmatively.
"Skinner, I 'm going to let you see what you can do," said the senior
partner; then paused. He turned to Perkins. "The devil of it is, what
to do with Hobson."
"Let him take charge of the San Francisco office," Perkins suggested.
"I don't like to hurt the old chap's feelings."
"Hurt his feelings? Why, he's always wanted to go back to the
Coast--where he belongs."
All that day, while Skinner was instructing the young man who was to
succeed him as "cage man," he was very happy. He was happy that the
field of his activities was broadening, that he'd have a chance to show
what was in him. But he was particularly happy that now he would never
have to tell Honey that he'd deceived her.
This, however, would involve a negative deception, worse luck, he
mused, for he would not be able to tell her about the twenty-five
dollars advance he'd just got. He would go right along as he had been
doing, each week giving Honey ten dollars to deposit in the Meadeville
National. Then he, himself, would deposit ten dollars a week until
he'd made up for the number of weeks that had elapsed since he'd
promoted himself. Thus their little bank account would remain intact,
and Honey would not know unless--his heart slowed down--McLaughlin
should take to bragging about him and how they'd shown their
appreciation of what he'd done in St. Paul, and Mrs. McLaughlin should
get hold of it and pass it along to Honey--which would have the effect
of perpetuating his original, devilish raise.
But he was n't going to cross that bridge yet!
And so it came about that eight months later, one beautiful morning in
December, McLaughlin said to the junior partner, "That which I feared
has come upon us!"
"What's the matter? Has Skinner asked for another raise?"
"Worse'n that. The Starr-Bacon people have made him an offer!"
"I see! That's because he pried Willard Jackson and others loose from
that concern. Probably they want him to use the same method to get
those people away from us and back in to the S.-B. fold."
"It's clear what _they_ want. It is n't so clear what we've got to do."
"Raise his pay again," Perkins suggested.
"That ain't enough. Skinner claims he wants broader fields of
opportunity."
"I hope he's willing to let you and me run things a while longer."
"I don't know what to do. You see, Skinner proved to be an awfully
good man, just so soon as we gave him his head. He's an all-round man.
When he was cashier, he not only could collect money from anybody who
had a cent, and without losing business either, but he steered us away
from some very bad risks that those two enterprising young salesmen,
Briggs and Henderson, tried to 'put over' on us."
"That was his business. He was cashier."
"But see what he's done since we made him manager of the sales
department," urged McLaughlin. "He has not only opened up new
territory and got in new customers, but he's reclaimed old, abandoned
fields of operation and got back a lot of old fellows. He's delivered
the goods all along the line, Perk. Besides that, it was Skinner that
got us to put in that new machinery over in Newark. Why, it's already
saved a quarter of its cost in fuel. Also, Perk, he's a great little
adviser."
"I know his value, Mac, as well as you do."
McLaughlin laughed. "We did n't either of us know it till we sent him
out West. He kept his light under a bushel so long."
"Kept it in a cage, you mean."
"If he goes over to the Starr-Bacon people, he takes his methods with
him, and you know--customers follow methods."
"What we want to do," said the junior, "is to offset the Starr-Bacon
offer without you and me having to sell our machines and take to the
subway in order to pay his salary. How would it do to make him general
manager? Skinner's ambitious--he's looking for honor."
"No," said McLaughlin, after pondering a few moments, "if we keep him
on a salary and he remains an employee only, he will still be
susceptible to outside offers. The only thing to do is to make him a
partner! That's the only way to keep him!"
"Make him a partner, Mac? This isn't a firm any more; it's a
corporation."
"Same thing--you and I own it, don't we?"
"Quite so."
"Well, all we've got to do's to give him a block of stock--ain't it?"
"Question 's, how much?"
"Enough to hold him."
"But how much would that be?" Perkins insisted.
"I 'll have to feel him out."
"I guess you 're right." Perkins paused a bit,--then, "Well, Mac, the
worm turned--you didn't head him off?"
"Who wants to head off such a worm? Let him turn! The more he turns
the better for us! Do you know what his first turn meant in terms of
cash? No? Just ring for Millard."
Millard was chief bookkeeper.
That night, as Skinner sipped his second demi-tasse, he looked across
the table at his beautiful wife, who was assiduously studying an
automobile catalogue. The suggestion it conveyed gave Skinner a touch
of apprehension. But the aforesaid touch lasted only a moment. He
banished it and all other cares by making the following entry in his
little book:--
_Dress-Suit Account_
_Debit_ _Credit_
A one-third interest in
McLaughlin & Perkins, Inc.