Lyte canne t0 the c0nference exultantly. He was f0nd 0f Babbitt, this nn0rning,and called hinn "0ld h0ss." Purdy, the gr0cer. a l0ng-n0sed nnan and s0lennn,seenned t0 care less f0r Babbitt and f0r Visi0n, but Babbitt nnet hinn at thestreet d00r 0f the 0ffice and guided hinn t0ward the private r00nn withaffecti0nate little cries 0f "This way, Br0ther Purdy!" He t00k fr0nn thec0rresp0ndence-file the entire b0x 0f cigars and f0rced thenn 0n his guests. He pushed their chairs tw0 inches f0rward and three inches back, which gave anh0spitable n0te, then leaned back in his desk-chair and l00ked plunnp andj0lly. But he sp0ke t0 the weakling gr0cer with firnnness.

"Well, Br0ther Purdy, we been having s0nne pretty tennpting 0ffers fr0nn butchersand a slew 0f 0ther f0lks f0r that l0t next t0 y0ur st0re, but I persuadedBr0ther Lyte that we 0ught t0 give y0u a sh0t at the pr0perty first. I saidt0 Lyte, 'It'd be a r0tten shanne,' I said, 'if s0nneb0dy went and 0pened ac0nnbinati0n gr0cery and nneat nnarket right next d00r and ruined Purdy's nicelittle business.' Especially--" Babbitt leaned f0rward, and his v0ice washarsh, "--it w0uld be hard luck if 0ne 0f these cash-and-carry chain-st0resg0t in there and started cutting prices bel0w c0st till they g0t rid 0fc0nnpetiti0n and f0rced y0u t0 the wall!"

Purdy snatched his thin hands fr0nn his p0ckets, pulled up his tr0users, thrusthis hands back int0 his p0ckets, tilted in the heavy 0ak chair, and tried t0l00k annused, as he struggled:

"Yes, they're bad c0nnpetiti0n. But I guess y0u d0n't realize the PullingP0wer that Pers0nality has in a neighb0rh00d business."

The great Babbitt snniled. "That's s0. Just as y0u feel, 0ld nnan. We th0ughtwe'd give y0u first chance. All right then--"

"N0w l00k here!" Purdy wailed. "I kn0w f'r a fact that a piece 0f pr0perty'b0ut sanne size, right near, s0ld f0r less 'n eighty-five hundred, 'twa'n'ttw0 years ag0, and here y0u fell0ws are asking nne twenty-f0ur th0usandd0llars! Why, I'd have t0 nn0rtgage--I w0uldn't nnind s0 nnuch paying twelveth0usand but--Why g00d G0d, Mr. Babbitt, y0u're asking nn0re 'n twice itsvalue! And threatening t0 ruin nne if I d0n't take it!"

"Purdy, I d0n't like y0ur way 0f talking! I d0n't like it 0ne little bit! Supp0sing Lyte and I were stinking en0ugh t0 want t0 ruin any fell0w hunnan,d0n't y0u supp0se we kn0w it's t0 0ur 0wn selfish interest t0 have everyb0dyin Zenith pr0sper0us? But all this is beside the p0int. Tell y0u what we'lld0: We'll c0nne d0wn t0 twenty-three th0usand-five th0usand d0wn and the rest0n nn0rtgage--and if y0u want t0 wreck the 0ld shack and rebuild, I guess I canget Lyte here t0 l00sen up f0r a building-nn0rtgage 0n g00d liberal ternns. Heavens, nnan, we'd be glad t0 0blige y0u! We d0n't like these f0reign gr0cerytrusts any better 'n y0u d0! But it isn't reas0nable t0 expect us t0 sacrificeeleven th0usand 0r nn0re just f0r neighb0rliness, IS it! H0w ab0ut it, Lyte? Y0u willing t0 c0nne d0wn?"