On the dressing stand were placed the different articles used by milady in dolling herself up, such as complexion cream, toilet water, nail polish, etc. On the floor of the window I arranged a row of a special hair-brush near the outer margin, as well as a number of other articles-not many of them; just a few. It is easy to overdo a display of this character.

drawn curtain in such a manner that its reflection might be caught in one of the dressingtable's mirrors, when the gazer stood in just the proper position. It will be noted that the photographer did not entirely lose sight of this point.

This effective display appeared in the window of S. H. Barnhart's store, Freeport, Illinois.

BY WM. A. BRANN, Chicago, Ill.

Funny experiences collecting bills? We all have them. Here is one of mine:

A short time ago one of my messenger boys (whose father, by the way, happens to be a policeman with plenty of determination and nerve, which the son has inherited) set out to collect a bill from one of my most delinquent customers, and although the boy made it a point to visit the place at about nine o'clock every night for eight or ten days no cash was forthcoming.

Finally, however, "something dropped." When he returned after the tenth trip I was busy in the prescription department, and as I peered through the periscope I could not fail to observe the rather triumphant and somewhat excited look which seemed to say that my youthful collector had brought home the bacon.

And he had. When he informed me that he got the money I asked him how on earth he had accomplished such a Herculean task. I told him that I hoped he had not been rude, or insulted anybody.

"No," he replied, "I didn't hardly say a word. I just told them plainly that I was getting tired of their stalling around with hot-air promises, and I hollered it out good and loud, so that every one could hear it."

"Yes; and then

"Well, they had company!"

And thus the mystery was explained.

BY MARK A. SAWRIE,

Selma, California.

Mrs. Cook's account had been charged off to profit and loss for two years, when one day she rushed into the store, with anger flashing from her eyes.

. "I am tired of being troubled about your old account," she indignantly said as she handed me a check.

I was dumbfounded, but politely took the money and attempted to give her a receipt. She was too angry to wait, and informed me as she

By FOUR CONTRIBUTORS

went out of the store that she would have no further dealings with me.

Imagine my surprise when some hours later I learned that an attorney had attached her property to collect a bill owing another drug store. She misunderstood, thought the account was ours, and came and paid us to stop further action. Next day she threatened to sue me for a return of the money, but went no further, and I enjoyed the unusual experience of collecting one bill without trying.

Fifteen years' experience had passed over my head when Spence came in to pay his bill. He was inclined to kick, and found fault with the amount. He said that he didn't get all of the items, and that the charges were excessive.

The bill was for $24, and he finally flatly offered to settle in full for $20. He made me angry, and I stubbornly informed him that I would make him pay the full bill.

"You'll take this twenty dollars, or you'll take nothing," he retorted.

Confident that I could make him pay, I refused the amount which he offered. That was four years ago, and I have fully concluded that Spence knew exactly what he was talking about. So far I have got just what he said I would!

BY CLAUD A. SMITH.

Pine Village, Indiana.

The cleverest artful dodger that I have ever known was a lady who for a time was one of my best customers. She paid cash at first, but one Friday she asked me to wait until "Saturday night" for payment of a trifling purchase, and I complied with her request. On Saturday evening she paid the amount promptly, thus giving me entire confidence in her.

Some time later she purchased some of the best rubber goods in my stock, some toilet articles, face creams, etc., the total amounting to at considerable sum, and asked for credit on the same terms as before. I later learned that this was her usual method of procedure, but, being still a comparative stranger in town, I had not. been warned.

My reward, the first time, was a vague promise, and I was encouraged to try again. And the second visit brought results, though not the kind I was looking for.

I am not exactly an innocent myself, when it comes to swearing, but never before or since have I heard such a fusillade of vile epithets as that woman heaped upon me. She was an adept in profanity, and gave me the full benefit of a large and flexible vocabulary. Just as two of my most influential customers came near enough to hear her, she closed her blistering tirade with the command most distinctly given, "Now let me alone, you skunk!"

Needless to say, I have "let her alone" ever since, as far as personally visiting her is concerned.

However, the druggist is not always the one to get the worst of it. Sometimes he squeezes through with a whole hide.

A young mechanic purchased a few articles amounting in all to $1.35 and handed me a check for ten dollars. As the bank was closed,

he asked me to take my pay out of the check; he needed the change, he said. This I did, not without a few doubts, however, for the check was drawn on a bank in another town.

It required about a week for the check to get back to me, and it was defaced by the cheerful statement, "No Funds."

I wasted little time in starting for the mechanic's house. I found him assisting his wife and mother-in-law in packing the family furniture preparatory to leaving town that night. I got my money.

BY W. W. MORRIS,

Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

I had sent employees out to collect bills and they had come back with all sorts of reports. "Tell the boss I'll be down and see him,” seemed to be the stall that most of them got. So I resolved to go out myself.

I made a bee-line for the residence of cranky old Mrs. Hicks, who had been one of the store's creditors for years before I had become

But she hadn't come.

I had been told that it was extremely difficult to get her to answer the door-bell on the first of the month, so when I had rung and rapped until I got sick of it I opened the door and walked in.

She was standing in the back hall, and blatted that I might have waited until she got to the door. So I apologized for intruding by telling her that I supposed she was in the kitchen, and probably couldn't hear the bell, as there was a car passing at the time.

I pulled out my bills and said, "I believe I have a little account here-Morris' drug store."

"Well! well!" she exclaimed, "another collector from that drug store! That man Morris is, of course, new here, but he could find out from anybody in this town that he need not worry about the bill I owe him. He's got very little sense or he wouldn't be sending a collector every day or so to bother me. It is really provoking. You tell him that I'll be down in a few days and see him."

I colored up a bit and said, “Madam, I am Mr. Morris. I am here myself."

And before I had time to say anything more she threw up her hands and exclaimed that she couldn't see me very well, as I was standing in the dark. Continuing she said that she had never had the privilege of meeting me, but that she had been looking forward to that pleasure because her son had spoken of me so often. "But, Mr. Morris," she gushed, "you are so very young to be in business for yourself! You surely can't blame me for the mistake I made. Please sit down and rest; I know you must be tired, walking over these hills all the morning."

She babbled on in this manner for quite a while, asking me if my wife had yet arrived, all about my people, and too many other questions to remember. She apologized for not having the money to pay me that day, but came to the store the next morning and squared her account. More than that, she invited me up for Sunday dinner!

Briefly outlined, here are a number of factors which have helped build and sustain a profitable business—just a few among others. They are the little distinctive points of this store, it might be said. Every store has its individuality.

No. 1.

DOUBLING SALES.

It strikes me that it's a pretty good idea to use every legitimate endeavor to increase the size of each sale. When a 10-cent article is disposed of whereas a 5-cent one was called for, the sale has been increased 100 per cent. And when a quarter-of-a-dollar's worth is wrapped up instead of 10 cents' worth, why we are soaring way out of ordinary arithmetic and butting into astronomy!

Customers are in the habit of calling for 10-cents' worth of all kinds of stuff: witchhazel, turpentine, castor oil, glycerin, spirit of camphor, etc. Most druggists keep these put up in 10-cent bottles. I keep them put up in 25-cent bottles also, and when I get a call I hand out the 25-cent size first. I find it an excellent practice to do so.

No. 2.

PHOTOGRAPHERS' TRADE.

A short time ago we added cameras and photographic supplies as a side-line. I made it a business to see all of our local photographers, and to talk with them. From the very beginning our business grew. We kept on adding to our stock, and now we are getting trade from every photographer in town and from some out of town. The sale of films The sale of films alone is quite a considerable item.

No. 3. GETTING BUSINESS FROM DENTISTS.

We have another special line-goods that appeal to the dentist. This dental supply business increases our sales faster than anything I know of, although it must be confessed the profit is small.

By THEO. B. FANT

I make it a point to see all of the dentists once a week, get their orders, and have the goods delivered the same day. Of course this is a cash business.

No. 4. BOOSTING 10- AND 15-CENT DRINKS.

We have nearly doubled our soda sales this season by pushing food drinks, such as malted milk and egg cocktails. I use a number of printed signs suggesting such drinks. I also keep the eggs in a glass dish on the counter, and the malted milk in plain sight, deliberately aiming to tempt patrons.

No. 5. MAGAZINES.

Periodicals have played an active part in increasing our sales in several ways. I often sell a magazine to a man, and before he gets out of the store he buys something else. In all probability if he had had to look up a news stand he would have dropped into another drug store on the other corner, and their cash register, not ours, would have got punched. And it makes a difference!

No. 6. SPECIAL CANDY SALES.

Candy is one of our strong specialties, and our business is growing every week. I take it out of the show-case, where most dealers keep it, and make a display, covering the whole top of a counter case. It attracts everybody's attention, especially that of the children.

We have special sales on candy every Saturday. These are boosted in the store all the week in every way we can-by word of mouth, signs, etc. And on Fridays we advertise in the daily paper. We have found these special sales not only directly profitable but extremely stimulating to general business.

Every store ought to have a distinct individuality. It takes a little planning, backed by a little extra effort, but it pays.

BOARD QUESTIONS ANSWERED

A NEW YORK EXAMINATION.
(Continued from the January BULLETIN.)

11. Give a characteristic test for zinc sulphate.

The addition of ammonia and hydrogen sulphide gas throws down zinc sulphide as a dirty-white precipitate, while the addition of barium chloride throws down the sulphate as a white precipitate.

12. Give the chemical name for each of the following: (a) litharge, (b) copperas, (c) red precipitate, (d) sugar of lead, (e) lunar caustic.

(a) Lead oxide, (b) ferrous sulphate, (c) red mercuric oxide, (d) lead acetate, (e) molded silver nitrate.

13. How many grammes of ammonia gas. are obtained when 40 grammes of ammonium chloride are decomposed with caustic potash? [Atomic weights: N=13.93, H=1, Cl=35.18, K=38.86, O=15.88.]

The following reaction takes place:
Nh,Cl + KOH=KC1+ NH3 + H2O.

X=12.75 grammes of ammonia gas. 14. How many grammes of official ammonia water can be made from the quantity of ammonia gas obtained in question 13?

Official ammonia water contains 10 per cent by weight of gaseous ammonia. Therefore, from 12.75 grammes of ammonia gas there can be obtained 127.5 grammes (12.75 X 10) of official ammonia water.

15. Give (a) the chemical formula of prepared chalk and (b) state by what process it is freed from most of its impurities. (a) CaCO3.

(b) Elutriation.

16. Give the chemical name of each of the following: (a) BaCrО1, (b) CaF2, (c) FeCO3, (d) Mg(OH)2, (e) HC3H2O2.

(a) Barium chromate, (b) calcium fluoride, (c) ferrous carbonate, (d) magnesium hydroxide, (e) lactic acid.

17. How may the presence of alum in potassium bitartrate be detected?

Calcination is the process of depriving a solid of its moisture or other volatile constituents by the application of heat without fusion. 5. Discuss three methods for clarifying liquids.

Clarification is the separation from liquids. of solid matter which prevents their being transparent, without using filters. It is generally effected through the agency of heat, the separated disturbing element subsequently being removed by straining or decantation. The viscid character of some liquids renders the various methods of filtration impracticable; whereas the mere application of heat, by increasing their fluidity, enables the suspended particles of solid matter to separate spontaneously, some rising to the surface while others sink to the bottom. If the liquid be allowed to remain at perfect rest while separation is going on, the lighter particles will form a layer, which can often be completely removed with the aid of a skimmer, while the heavy sedimentary matter is readily retained on a cloth strainer.

Saline solutions concentrated for the purpose