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Show Dollars and Doughnuts By H. LOUIS RAYBOLD '.t (Cupyrlk'lit.) POLLY ANDREWS sat at her desk In the room she was pleased to call her "ollice" with her chin cupped In her two slim hands. She was thinking deeply. Except for the fact that her glance was turned Inward rather than outward, out-ward, she could see through the glass doors eight empty gray enameled tables, Hanked with their chairs, on the center of each table a spotless doily with yellow daffodils In a crystal crys-tal vase.- So would the scene remain all day. Charming and unoccupied. Oh, possibly pos-sibly one or two old customers would drop in for doughnuts and coffee. Hut there would be no steady stream of patrons bringing In profits and going away to advertise. No, all that sort of thing had departed de-parted when the new state road struck across a virgin meadow, leaving Polly and her Doughnut Shop nil to themselves them-selves on the abandoned curve. The assistant superintendent of the contracting company which was engineering engi-neering the Job, coming In one day with Peter Drake, one of the young surveyors, had advised her to move her quarters. "Why, I couldn't do that!" Polly had exclaimed. "The investment you Id be too great. Becnuse this Is my home, I can figure my rental as very little." He was a nice young fellow, the assistant as-sistant superintendent. Almost as nice as Peter Drake who had drummed up a lot of trade for her among the men. John Cary, his name was, and she remembered re-membered how he had leaned gravely across the little candy counter. "Where you made your mistake," he had said gravely, "was in the sign you hung out." "What do you mean?" she had queried blankly. "It should have been 'Ye Dough-nutte Dough-nutte Shoppe.' Change it to that and you'll see what will happen !" Recalling the instance, she smiled. If she could only put up a sign over on the main road so alluring that cars would read it, stop, and detour around ! But what an unusual sign that would have to be ! She couldn't possibly sell her wares cheaper. Besides, people were fed up with cheapness. Everything sold along the way was cheap enough. Hot dogs hamburg sandwiches fried clam cakes! Suddenly, she grinned. "It can't do any harm," she said to herself. "I'm at the last ditch anyhow." Dimpling, she rose, went over to the telephone, and called up a sign painter. Four months later, John Cary, driving driv-ing his roadster along the new road at a mean forty-five, suddenly put on his brakes. And he backed to the sign he had just passed. At the intersection of the new highway high-way with the old one had been placed a large black sign with neat gold lettering: let-tering: DOUGHNUTS ONE DOLLAR EACH An arrow Indicated the route to be taken if one wished that sort of a - doughnut. "Can it be," he mused, "that our friend Polly has found a recipe for making doughnuts worth that? .1 shall have to find out." Half a dozen cars were already parked before the old slope-roofed house which Cary noticed had been freshly painted, with a cunning green lattice over the doorway that matched the blinds. The place advertised prosperity. Then he saw Polly coming toward him, the same winsome Polly yet with a new little air about her. i "How do you do?" she said cordially cordial-ly and held out her hand. "Tell me about It,' he begged pres ently. . Polly beckoned to her assistant, j "Mr. Cary will have the usual service," serv-ice," she said. When the white-napkined tray was set before him, lie looked at It In amazement. Two dainty sandwiches, a cup of coffee, relish, a generous slice of cake and the Inevitable doughnut in the very center of the tray ! "Exactly!" said Polly. "The rest - Is thrown in with the doughnut. It Is all a matter of psychology. I catch 'em by shocking 'em. They are curious curi-ous to see who could possibly have the nerve to charge a dollar for a doughnut and figure they'll only be stung once. Then, they're so delighted delight-ed at the way they've been fooled, they come again and again and bring their friends. And I'm getting a dollar for the same stuff that I couldn't get fifty cents for before !" Cary regarded her with admiration. "You and I," he said, "ought to start a chain 'of Doughnut for a Dollar Shops on the cross-country routes of travel. It's a great Idea. Do you know," he went on thoughtfully, "I've thought a great deal about you since the days we used to drop in while the road construction was on. May I may I come to see you again?" "Of course," said Polly. "We welcome wel-come repeaters, you know." Then she smiled mischievously. "Any day but next Thursday." Cary looked puzzled. "Next Thursday?" Thurs-day?" he asked. Tolly smiled gently. "That Is the day Peter Drake and I are to be married," mar-ried," she said. |