Matrimonial Bureau Reopens

Originally Aired: April 4, 1938 Lum #16, "Matrimonial Bureau Reopens," Lum and Abner find themselves in desperate financial straits as their Jot 'Em Down Store struggles to survive. With depleted inventory and mounting debts, the partners face a vicious cycle: they need cash to restock, but customers need credit to buy. When Dick Huddleston stops by the store, he advises Abner to enforce their long-ignored "Strictly Cash, No Credit" policy, but both men know it's nearly impossible to turn away neighbors they've known all their lives. Lum returns from a grueling day of collections having secured only eighteen dollars from Grandpa Masters, barely enough to make a dent in their wholesale orders. As the partners contemplate their dire situation, Lum's mind wanders to get-rich-quick schemes. He mentions reading about sweepstake tickets that turn a mere four or five dollar investment into winnings of a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Despite their agreement to focus on the store, the temptation of easy money proves difficult to resist for two desperate shopkeepers looking for any way out of their predicament.