Читать книгу Dangerous Dilemmas: Startling but True онлайн

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The orders arrived daily by hundreds, and a large staff of clerks had to be employed to register them and answer the letters. Clever people could not see how the thing could be done at the price, but came to the conclusion that the firm wanted a good advertisement. The two guineas, however, came rolling in, the public evidently looking upon it as a golden opportunity to save money.

As can easily be imagined, the men at the cellars were busy. Thousands of hampers began to accumulate. They had all to go out at the same time. Before the appointed time for delivery a notice was inserted in the newspapers that no more orders could be received after a certain date. The rush on these final days reminded one of the period of the South Sea bubble. Men and women with tears in their eyes and money in their hands, entreated as a favour to be registered.

To keep faith with his clients, the "Man in the City" duly sent away his thousands of hampers on the day named, each hamper containing the number of bottles enumerated in the advertisement. You will doubtless turn round in surprise and ask where the profit came in, and whether the "Man in the City" was not a little touched in his "upper story?" Not at all. By the transaction he cleared close on £5,000! As will be seen, he had profited by his previous year's experience, and was enabled to afford many holidays on the Continent.