Credit: Polonius Reversed

He hesitates before the glass door of the downtown building, then pushes through and climbs a narrow staircase to the second floor. There he pauses again before the well-advertised insignia on another door, squares his shoulders and steps into a brightly lit room filled with the murmur of Muzak melo dies. The man is 37, married, and a fa ther. He is a steady wage earner with a $6,092-a-year income. He is also in debt (to the tune of $513) and pressed by his creditors. He is a typical customer who has come to solve his problems —at least...

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