True eccentrics never deliberately set out to draw attention to themselves. They disregard social conventions without being conscious that they are doing anything extraordinary. This invariably wins them the love and respect of others, for they add colour to the dull routine of everyday life.
Up to the time of his death, Richard Colson was one of the most notable figures in our town. He was a shrewd and wealthy business - man, but most people in the town hardly knew anything about this side of his life. He was known to us all as Dickie and his eccentricity had become legendary long before he died.
Dickie disliked snobs intensely. Though he owned a large car, he hardly ever used it, preferring always to go on foot. Even when it was raining heavily, he refused to carry an umbrella. One day, he walked into an expensive shop after having been caught in a particularly heavy shower. He wanted to buy a \$300 watch for his wife, but he was in such a bedraggled state that an assistant refused to serve him. Dickie left the shop without a word and returned carrying a large cloth bag. As it was extremely heavy, he dumped it on the counter. The assistant asked him to leave, but Dickie paid no attention to him and requested to see the manager. Recognizing who the customer was, the manager was most apologetic and 'rushed' Dickie into the back room. Dickie took out a thick roll of \$100 bills and started peeling them off one at a time onto the counter. On seeing this, the manager hastened to add the watch to Dickie's bill and then apologized for having been so rude before. Dickie, however, had his own way of doing things. He calmly picked up the watch, put his money back into the bag and left the shop without a word.
The following day, the manager of the shop sent his assistant to Dickie's house with a letter. In the letter, he apologized for his rudeness and begged Dickie to come back to the shop. Dickie accepted the apology and later became a regular customer of the shop.