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CHAPTER¡¡IV
SALVAGE
Another¡¡and¡¡greater¡¡enterprise¡¡was¡¡diverting¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Gwynne's¡¡attention¡¡from¡¡the¡¡delinquencies¡¡of¡¡his¡¡debtors£»¡¡namely£º¡¡the¡¡entrance¡¡of¡¡the¡¡National¡¡Machine¡¡Company¡¡into¡¡the¡¡remote¡¡and¡¡placid¡¡life¡¡of¡¡Mapleton¡¡and¡¡its¡¡district¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡manager¡¡of¡¡this¡¡company£»¡¡having¡¡spent¡¡an¡¡afternoon¡¡with¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Gwynne¡¡in¡¡his¡¡store¡¡and¡¡having¡¡been¡¡impressed¡¡by¡¡his¡¡charm¡¡and¡¡power¡¡of¡¡persuasive¡¡talk£»¡¡made¡¡him¡¡a¡¡proposition¡¡that¡¡he¡¡should¡¡act¡¡as¡¡agent¡¡of¡¡the¡¡National¡¡Machine¡¡Company¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡arrangement¡¡suggested¡¡was¡¡one¡¡that¡¡appealed¡¡to¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Gwynne's¡¡highly¡¡optimistic¡¡temperament¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡was¡¡not¡¡to¡¡work¡¡for¡¡a¡¡mere¡¡salary£»¡¡but¡¡was¡¡to¡¡purchase¡¡outright¡¡the¡¡various¡¡productions¡¡of¡¡the¡¡National¡¡Machine¡¡Company¡¡and¡¡receive¡¡a¡¡commission¡¡upon¡¡all¡¡his¡¡sales¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡figures¡¡placed¡¡before¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Gwynne¡¡by¡¡the¡¡manager¡¡of¡¡the¡¡company¡¡were¡¡sufficiently¡¡impressive£»¡¡indeed¡¡so¡¡impressive¡¡that¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Gwynne¡¡at¡¡once¡¡accepted¡¡the¡¡proposition£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡Mapleton¡¡branch¡¡of¡¡the¡¡National¡¡Machine¡¡Company¡¡became¡¡an¡¡established¡¡fact¡£
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The¡¡event¡¡proved¡¡the¡¡wisdom¡¡of¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡Gwynne's¡¡determination¡¡to¡¡put¡¡little¡¡faith¡¡in¡¡the¡¡optimistic¡¡confidence¡¡of¡¡her¡¡husband¡¡in¡¡regard¡¡to¡¡the¡¡profits¡¡to¡¡be¡¡expected¡¡from¡¡the¡¡operations¡¡of¡¡the¡¡National¡¡Machine¡¡Company¡£¡¡¡¡A¡¡year's¡¡business¡¡was¡¡sufficient¡¡to¡¡demonstrate¡¡that¡¡the¡¡Mapleton¡¡branch¡¡of¡¡the¡¡National¡¡Machine¡¡Company¡¡was¡¡bankrupt¡£¡¡¡¡By¡¡every¡¡law¡¡of¡¡life¡¡it¡¡ought¡¡to¡¡be¡¡bankrupt¡£¡¡¡¡With¡¡all¡¡his¡¡many¡¡excellent¡¡qualities¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Gwynne¡¡possessed¡¡certain¡¡fatal¡¡defects¡¡as¡¡a¡¡business¡¡man¡£¡¡¡¡With¡¡him¡¡the¡¡supreme¡¡consideration¡¡was¡¡simply¡¡the¡¡getting¡¡rid¡¡of¡¡the¡¡machines¡¡purchased¡¡by¡¡him¡¡as¡¡rapidly¡¡and¡¡in¡¡such¡¡large¡¡numbers¡¡as¡¡possible¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡cheerfully¡¡ignored¡¡the¡¡laws¡¡that¡¡governed¡¡the¡¡elemental¡¡item¡¡of¡¡profit¡£¡¡¡¡Hence¡¡the¡¡relentless¡¡Nemesis¡¡that¡¡sooner¡¡or¡¡later¡¡overtakes¡¡those¡¡who£»¡¡whether¡¡ignorantly¡¡or¡¡maliciously£»¡¡break¡¡laws£»¡¡fell¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡National¡¡Machine¡¡Company¡¡and¡¡upon¡¡those¡¡who¡¡had¡¡the¡¡misfortune¡¡to¡¡be¡¡associated¡¡with¡¡it¡£
In¡¡the¡¡wreck¡¡of¡¡the¡¡business¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Gwynne's¡¡store£»¡¡upon¡¡which¡¡the¡¡National¡¡Machine¡¡Company¡¡had¡¡taken¡¡the¡¡precaution¡¡to¡¡secure¡¡a¡¡mortgage£»¡¡was¡¡also¡¡involved¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡business¡¡went¡¡into¡¡the¡¡hands¡¡of¡¡a¡¡receiver¡¡and¡¡was¡¡bought¡¡up¡¡at¡¡about¡¡fifty¡¡cents¡¡on¡¡the¡¡dollar¡¡by¡¡a¡¡man¡¡recently¡¡from¡¡western¡¡Canada¡¡whose¡¡specialty¡¡was¡¡the¡¡handling¡¡of¡¡business¡¡wreckage¡£¡¡¡¡No¡¡one¡¡after¡¡even¡¡a¡¡cursory¡¡glance¡¡at¡¡his¡¡face¡¡would¡¡suspect¡¡Mr¡£¡¡H¡£¡¡P¡£¡¡Sleighter¡¡of¡¡deficiency¡¡in¡¡business¡¡qualities¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡snap¡¡in¡¡the¡¡cold¡¡grey¡¡eye£»¡¡the¡¡firm¡¡lines¡¡in¡¡the¡¡long¡¡jaw£»¡¡the¡¡thin¡¡lips¡¡pressed¡¡hard¡¡together£»¡¡all¡¡proclaimed¡¡the¡¡hard¡headed£»¡¡cold¡hearted£»¡¡iron¡willed¡¡man¡¡of¡¡business¡£¡¡¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Sleighter£»¡¡moreover£»¡¡had¡¡a¡¡remarkable¡¡instinct¡¡for¡¡values£»¡¡more¡¡especially¡¡for¡¡salvage¡¡values¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡was¡¡this¡¡instinct¡¡that¡¡led¡¡him¡¡to¡¡the¡¡purchase¡¡of¡¡the¡¡National¡¡Machine¡¡Company¡¡wreckage£»¡¡which¡¡included¡¡as¡¡well¡¡the¡¡Mapleton¡¡general¡¡store£»¡¡with¡¡its¡¡assets¡¡in¡¡stock¡¡and¡¡book¡¡debts¡£
Mr¡£¡¡Sleighter's¡¡methods¡¡with¡¡the¡¡easy¡going¡¡debtors¡¡of¡¡the¡¡company¡¡in¡¡Mapleton¡¡and¡¡the¡¡surrounding¡¡district¡¡were¡¡of¡¡such¡¡galvanic¡¡vigour¡¡that¡¡even¡¡so¡¡practiced¡¡a¡¡procrastinator¡¡as¡¡Farmer¡¡Martin¡¡found¡¡himself¡¡actually¡¡drawing¡¡money¡¡from¡¡his¡¡hoarded¡¡bank¡¡account¡¡to¡¡pay¡¡his¡¡store¡¡debtsa¡¡thing¡¡unheard¡¡of¡¡in¡¡that¡¡communityand¡¡to¡¡meet¡¡overdue¡¡payments¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡various¡¡implements¡¡which¡¡he¡¡had¡¡purchased¡¡from¡¡the¡¡National¡¡Machine¡¡Company¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡was¡¡not¡¡until¡¡after¡¡the¡¡money¡¡had¡¡been¡¡drawn¡¡and¡¡actually¡¡paid¡¡that¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Martin¡¡came¡¡fully¡¡to¡¡realise¡¡the¡¡extraordinary¡¡nature¡¡of¡¡his¡¡act¡£
¡¨That¡¡there¡¡feller£»¡¨¡¡he¡¡said£»¡¡looking¡¡from¡¡the¡¡receipt¡¡in¡¡his¡¡hand¡¡to¡¡the¡¡store¡¡door¡¡through¡¡which¡¡the¡¡form¡¡of¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Sleighter¡¡had¡¡just¡¡vanished£»¡¡¡¨that¡¡there¡¡feller£»¡¡he's¡¡too¡¡swift¡¡fer¡¡me¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡ain't¡¡got¡¡any¡¡innards¡¡to¡¡speak¡¡of£»¡¡he'd¡¡steal¡¡the¡¡pants¡¡off¡¡a¡¡dog£»¡¡he¡¡would¡£¡¨
The¡¡application¡¡of¡¡these¡¡same¡¡galvanically¡¡vigorous¡¡methods¡¡to¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Gwynne's¡¡debtors¡¡produced¡¡surprising¡¡res