The Go-Getter

Cappy Ricks assigns Bill to sell half a million feet of unwanted skunk spruce because he is testing whether Bill has the grit and sales ability to prove himself worthy of his daughter's affection. Cappy has grown dissatisfied with how his employees Skinner and Peasely run his companies, and he sees something different in Bill. The task is deliberately difficult, it has stumped others, but Cappy uses it to evaluate Bill's potential for leadership.

Bill embarks on an intensive cross-country sales trip across the western United States, using his drive and sales acumen to not only sell all the unwanted skunk spruce but also generate additional orders for much of the company's lumber. His success is so impressive that Cappy begins to see him as a potential leader for broader operations.

The blue vase test is Cappy's final and most challenging trial for Bill. Cappy calls Bill with a fake story about needing a vase bought immediately and delivered to the railway station by eight o'clock. The task is deliberately rigged with invisible obstacles and time pressures meant to crush any hopeful suitor, similar to tests given to previous suitors who wanted to marry Margaret. It tests Bill's resourcefulness and determination under impossible deadlines.

Earlier tests given to other suitors establish that this is a pattern Cappy uses to weed out unworthy candidates.

Bill pawns the engagement ring he bought with his commission earnings to raise the $1,000 needed to buy the vase. With no other way to get the money quickly enough, he sacrifices his symbol of commitment to Margaret in order to complete Cappy's test and prove himself worthy of her hand.

Bill had bought the ring with his first commission from the skunk spruce sale, showing his intention to marry Margaret.

After pawning his ring to buy the vase, Bill enlists help from a Navy friend who is on his honeymoon. This friend flies Bill ahead of the departed train, allowing him to get to the railway station in time to deliver the vase by the eight o'clock deadline. The combination of quick thinking, sacrifice, and military connections enables his success.

Bill's Navy background and connections prove valuable throughout the story.

Cappy resists the idea of Bill marrying Margaret because he is a wary guardian of his legacy and fears losing his daughter's companionship. Even though Bill has just earned a single chance at success, Cappy worries that Bill might not be steady enough or worthy of Margaret long-term. His opposition manifests through the blue vase test and later by booking all the ship staterooms to prevent the couple from traveling together.

Cappy's protective nature over Margaret is established from their first meeting when Margaret advocates for Bill.

The workers at Cappy's companies go on strike and insist on negotiating only with Bill because they recognize his integrity and fair treatment of them during his sales trips across the western United States. Bill's honest dealing and ability to get results have earned their trust, making him the only person they believe can represent their interests fairly in negotiations.

Bill's cross-country sales trip established his reputation for honest dealing with workers.

Bill jumps overboard because the ship's captain refuses to obey a last-minute reversal order to turn the ship around. With the strike unresolved and workers demanding he negotiate, Bill makes the drastic decision to leap overboard and find another way to shore to address the crisis. Margaret follows him, and they end up in a lifeboat together facing danger.

The urgent radiogram about the strike establishes the high stakes Bill faces.

After Bill and Margaret are found in their lifeboat by Cappy, Bill negotiates an end to the strike by convincing the workers to bargain with him directly. His willingness to risk his life for the company's welfare, combined with his established credibility with the workers, leads to a successful resolution.

Bill's earlier actions earning worker trust set up his ability to negotiate the settlement.

After the strike is resolved, Cappy strategically decides to send Skinner to Shanghai to oversee operations there, while Bill takes on leadership elsewhere. This arrangement allows Bill to stay closer to Margaret and the family business while removing Skinner from his previous position of influence. It represents a promotion for Bill and a demotion for the problematic Skinner, cementing Bill's place in the company's leadership.

Earlier, Cappy had grown tired of how Skinner and Peasely ran his companies.

Bill Austin loses his leg when the US Navy airship Macon is damaged in a violent storm and crashes into the Pacific Ocean. As helmsman, Bill stays by his commanding officer to help the crew escape safely, but the crash costs him his leg, ending his naval career and forcing him to seek civilian work.

Bill meets Margaret Ricks in the reception area of Cappy Ricks Enterprises while seeking employment. He mistakenly assumes she is another job seeker and asks her out on a date, unaware she is Cappy's daughter. Margaret is charmed by his confidence and later advocates to her father for Bill to be given a real opportunity, initiating their romance.