“How’s trade?” she asked, to give them a lead.

“In one way, it’s good,” replied the man.  “We’re selling out as fast as we can get the truck; but there’s a point I want your views about.  The cheque I gave you wiped off most all the capital I had, wholesalers put up their prices if you make them wait, and a number of the boys have a bad habit of letting their bills run on.  Now, if you can give me some advice——.”

“Certainly,” said Sadie, who thought the woman looked anxious.  “Suppose you read out the names and what they owe?”

The man opened a ledger, and she told him what she knew about his customers; whom he could trust and whom he had better refuse further credit.  Then she looked thoughtful when he said:  “Wilkinson, of the range—­”

“He didn’t deal with us.”

“But you know everybody round here and can tell me if he’s likely to make good,” the man urged.

“How much does he owe you?” Sadie asked.

The man named a rather large sum and she pretended to consider.

“Well,” she replied, “the boys have probably told you that Wilkinson’s not a friend of mine, and since that’s so I’m not going to say much about his character.”

“It’s not his character we’re curious about.  Do you know how he’s fixed?”

Sadie was silent for a few moments.  The others were young and newly married and had admitted that the purchase of the business had strained their resources.  It was plain that a large bad debt might involve them in difficulties.  Wilkinson had forced her to fight, and she meant to show him no mercy, but she must say nothing that could afterwards be brought up against her.

“Character counts for as much as dollars,” she remarked.  “That was my father’s motto, and he was never afraid to take steep chances by backing an honest man.  Although he had debts on his books for three or four years, it was seldom a customer let him down.  But he cut out a crook as soon as he suspected what the fellow was.  However, you want to know how Wilkinson stands?  Well, it’s a sure thing he finds dollars tight.”

“Anyhow, a man can’t disown his debts in this country.”

“That’s so; but if he’s a farmer, the homestead laws stop your seizing his house and land and part of his stock, unless he has mortgaged them to you.  If somebody else holds a mortgage, you generally get stung.”

“The trouble is that if you’re too hard on a customer, he tells his friends, and the opposition gets his trade and theirs.”

“Sure,” said Sadie, “Keller’s let the opposition have that kind of trade.  A crook’s friends are generally like himself, and there’s not much profit in selling goods to folk who don’t mean to pay.”

“Has Wilkinson given a mortgage?” the man asked.

“If he had, it’s got to be registered.  You can find out at the record office, and I guess it would pay you to go and see.”

“Well, I hear he’s just sold a good bunch of horses.  That means he’ll have some money for a while.”