Whereupon the exasperating Harold countered by suggesting that he would rather go back to his old Summer job of selling washing machines!
Harold had been for the past three Summers Sanford agent for the Acme Washing Machine and had done rather well with it. Sanford was inhabited in great part by retired farmers and their families. The housewives were in most cases elderly ladies not quite ready to accede to the modern custom of sending out the family washes, but willing to listen to new-fangled schemes for easing their toil.
Harold canvassed the town thoroughly. He distributed the little Acme booklets, featuring the slogan, "It saves your back—or your money back," at every door. He was polite, nice-looking, eager and honest. He was quite willing to set up his sample Acme machine in a kitchen and give a practical demonstration of its capabilities. Elderly women instinctively liked him and bought his wares. Only when the daughters of his prospects answered the doorbells was Harold's selling talk impaired. He was very shy with young ladies.
Harold's commissions for the three Summers he had been selling washing machines were carefully deposited in the bank that em-
