The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-11-29
ssBOY WANTED

IeOpie IauSneu WneH Iney saw inc sign
again. 1t seemed to be always in Mr.. Pc
ter's window. For a day or two, some
times only for an hour ortwo, it would be
missing, and passers-by would wonder
whether Mr.. Peters had at last found a boy
to suit him; but it was sure to appear
again.
"What sort of a boy does be want any
way?" one and another would ask, and
then they would say to each other that they
supposed he was looking for a perfect boy,
and in their opinion he would look a good
while before he found one. Not that there
we're not plenty Of boys-as many as a doz-
en- used sometimes to appear in the course
Of a morning, trying for a situation. Mr..
Peters was said to be rich and queer, and
for one or both of the reasons boys were
anxious to try to suit him. "All he wants
is a boy to run errands; it must be easy
work and sure pay" This was the way
they talked to each other. But Mr.. Peters
wanted more than a boy TO run errands.
John Simmonds found it out, and this is
the way he did it. He had been engaged
that very morning, and had been kept busy
all the forenoon at pleasant enough work;
and, although he was a lazy fellow, he ra-
Their enjoyed the place. 1t was toward the
middle of the afternoon that he was sent
up to the attic, a dark, dingy place, inhab-
tied by mice and cobwebs.
"You will find a long, deep box there"
said Mr.. Peters, shat I want to have put
in order. It stands right in the middle of
the room; you can't miss it,"
John looked doleful. "a long, deep
box, I should think it was.'' he said to
himself, as the attic door closed after him.
sit would weigh most a ton, | guess; and
what is there in it? Nothing in the world
but old nails and screws and pieces of iron
and broken keys and things-rubbish, the
whole OF it. Nothing worth touching; and
it is as dark as a pocket up here, and cold
besides. How the wind blows in through
these knot-holes! There's a mouse! If there
is anything hate, it's mice. I'll tell you
what it is, if old Peters thinks l am going
to stay up here and tumble over his rusty
nails, he's much mistaken. I wasn't bred
for that kind of work.
W%hereupon John bounced down the attic
stairs three at a time, and was found loun-
ging in the show-window an hour after
ward, when Mr.. Peters appeared.
"Have you put the box in order al
ready?' was the gentleman's question.
II didn't find anything to put in order.
There was nothing in it but nails and
things"
Exactly, it was the nails and things
that | wanted put in order. Did you do
its''
s'No,sir. 1t was dark up there, and cold
and didn't see anything that was worth
Besides, I thought | was hired to run err
rands."
"oh," said Mr.. Peters, 81 thought you
were hired to do as you were told" But
he smiled pleasantly enough, and at once
gave John an errand to do down town; and
the boy went off chuckling, declaring to
himself that he knew bow to manage the
old fellow; all hat needed was to stand up
for your rights.
Precisely at 6 o'clock John was called
and paid the sum promised him for a days
work; and then, to his dismay. he was told
that his services would not be needed any
more.
The e x morning the ole sign, Boy
Wanted, appeared in its usual place.
Before moor it was taken down and
Charlie Jones was the fortunate boy.
Errauds--plenty of them. He was kept
busy until an hour of closing. Then, be-
hold he was sent up to the attic to put the
long box in order. He was not afraid of a
mouse nor the cold, but he grumbled
much over the box. Nothing in it worth
his attention. However, he tumbled over
the things, growing all the time. picked
out a few straight nails, a key or two, and
finally appeared with the message: "Here's
all there is worth keeping in the box. The
rest of the hooks are bent or something"
every well" said Mr.. Peters, and sent
him to the postofiee. What do you think9
BY the close of the next day Charlie had
been paid and discharged, and the old sign
hung in the window.
five no kind of notion why was dis
charged" grumbled Charles to his mother.
''He said he had no fault to find, only he
saw that l wouldn't suit. It's my opinion
that he doesn't want a boy at all"
1t was Crawield Mills who was hired
next. He knew neither OF the other boys,
and so did his errands in blissful ignorance
of the 'long box" until the second morn
ing of his stay, when in a leisure hour he
was sent to put it in order. The morning
passed, dinner time, and still Crawford had
not appeared from the attic. At last Mr..
Peters called to him: SCOT t~hrough?"
mo, sir, there is ever SO much more to
do
"All right. 1t is dinner time now. and
you may go back to it after dinner
After dinner back he went. All the
short afternoon he was not heard from,
but just as Mr.. Peters was deciding to call
him again he appeared.
''I've done my best. sir" he said; ''and
down at the very bottom of the box | found
thic .