The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-20

where was deposited their outer clothing
"Clarks,n stammered the feeble halter,
feeling yainly for the arm-hoies In his
great-coat-"clarks presume on their
value. Turn 'em out, say l. GIVE EN- a
chance to rotate You've got my opinion,
Mr.. President. Refuse what s-hIs-name,
Fields. Tell him he's happy and well OFF
now, without knowing it. Where can be
the sleeves too this"-his voice expired
Ia its perplexity.
Fields cause looked blue One director
after another CROPPED to the door, saying,
as he went: ~ can't encourage 1t, Mr..
President-tell him mo, Mr.. President
4 it would only make the rest uneasy if We
allowed it--plenty more 10 Mi his place. f"
| The hatter's voice stopped further men
ton of the subject. He stood at one end
of the apartment in a paroxysm OF laugh
ter. Tears filled his eyes. He pointed to
another director, who. at the other ex-
tremity of the room, was also puzzling
over a coat. There's Stuart with nv
macintosh He's trying to put Il on =
and here am / with his coat trying to put
that on. II said TO myself: This is
pretty large for a slim man like you. -
| Great God, Stuart, if hadn't been quick
| sighted We might have stayed here all
| night" He Immediately fell into an
| other fit of laughter. and so did his friend.
/ They exchanged coats with great hilarity,
| and those who had gone out of the door
| numbered back TO learn the cause of it.
| The story went round from one TO the
other, why, Stuart had Jacobs coat. and
Jacobs had Sruart's coatl" Everybody
| went into commissions, and the president
| drew out his pocket-handkerchief and
shrieked into it.
| The board broke up with great good feel
| ing, and Jacobs went away very weak,
| saying that he was going to tell the joke
against Stuart on the street-if he lived to
| get there.
Three gentlemen remained, professedly
| TO hear Fields letter read. Two staid be-
cause the room was comfortable, and the
| other because he wanted 20 have a little
| private conversation with the president
| afterward.
Therefore the president wiped away the
| tears that Stuart's humor had forced from
| his eyes, and opened the crumpled letter
and, turning his back TO the light, read it
| aloud, while the rest listened with looks of
| great amusement in their wrinkled faces.
| To the President and Directors of the
| National Bank-Gentienen: most respectfully
| renew my application Tor an increase of my
salary 70 5000 per annum, il now being $4,000
| en- impelled To DO this because am convinced
| that am not sufficiently recompensed for the
| labor perform; and because other tellers hay-
ing the same responsibilities, receive the larger
| sum per annum; and, lastly, because | am
| about 10 be married
| remember that your answer to my first ap-
| plieation was definile refusal, and blamed
myself for not having presented the case more
/ clearly TO your distinguished notice. Will you
permit me to rectify that fault now, and to
| state briefly why feel assured that my present
claim IS not an unreasonable one2
First-While ten years ago we agreed that
| $3,UO0 was fair compensation for the work
| was then called upon 10 perform, aud four years
rhar0 fofr
| increased tasks, caused by the increase of your
business, is it not just that should now ask for
| still further advance, in view of the fact that
| your business has doubled since the date of our
last contract?
Ii has been necessary TO acquaint myself with
| the signatures and business customs end quail
hcatons OF twice the former number of your
customers, and my liability to error has also be-
come greater in like ratio But / have com
up an equal strain OF care. This has made de-
mands upon my brain and my bodily strength,
which think should be requited for.
Second-i, like each OF you, will one day reach
an age when the body and mind will no longer
be able to provide for themselves. But between
US, should we continue our present relations,
there would be this vital difference: You would
have made an accumulation of wealth that
would be sufficient for your wants, while
would be poor in spite OF the fact that l labored
with you, and next TO yourselves did the most
10 protect your interests. In view of my ap-
preaching incompetence (no matter how lar off
II ISL am working at disadvantage Would
ii not be right to enable me to protect myself
from this disadvantage?
Third-While you pay me a price for my Ia
Dor and for my skill as an expert, do you COM
| pensate me for the trials you put upon my pro-
| bity? You pay me for what do. but do you re-
| ward me for what l might, but do not do? Is
| what do not do II marketable quantity? | think
| that il is. 10 prove it, inquire of those whose
| servants have behaved ill, whether they would
| not have paid something to have forestalled
their dishonesty.
There is bad strain to this paragraph. and
| will not dwell upon it, only ask you 10 re-
member that enormous sums OF money pass
| through my hands every day, and that the
smallest slip of my memory, or OF my care, or of
my fidelity, might cause you irreparable loss.
| Familiarity with money and operations in
money always tend to lessen the respect for the
| regard that others hold ii in. To resist the
subtle influences of this familiarity involves a
certain wear and tear of those principles which
must be kept intact for your sake.
| beg you To accept what is my evident mean
ing, even if my method OF setting it forth has
| not been particularly happy. have assured
| myself that my claim is valid one, and await
your obliging reply with anxiety. 1 remain,
| Your obedient servant,
| - FIELDS, Paying Teller
At the end the president suddenly low
| cred his head with a smile, and looked
| over the top of his glasses at his audience
clearly meaning: There's a letter for
| you'll"
But two of the gentlemen were fast
asleep, nodding gently ut one another
| across the table, while their hands clasped
| the arms of their chairs. The other one
| was looking up toward the roofs of the
buildings opposite, absorbed IN specula-
| ton.
The president said aloud:
Il think, as long as Fields has made
| such touse about 1t, that I'd better draft
| reply, and not give him verbal an
''Drait2'' said the Spectator, brought 70
life by the word. "Draft, did YOU say,
| sir? WHARTON whom?-"
Il said draft reply toto this" re-
turned the other, waving the letter
"Oh, a replyl Draft one Draft a re-
ply to the letter about the salary. Oh.
certainly, by ali means"
And read il. 10 the directors at the
meeting next siday," suggested the
president.
The SPECTATORS eyes turned vacantly
upon him. and it was full half a minnie
before he comprehended. Yes, yes. of
course, read il to the directors next Fri
day. They'll approve IT, You know. That
| Will be regular, and according to rule. But
| about Steinmeyer, you know. When A
| man like Steinmeyer does such thing as
| but Just come to the window a minute ~
He led the president off by the arm. and
that was the last OF Fields letter for that
day.
H.
Fields was truly on the anxious Sc at.
As he had said in his letter, he was en-
| gagged TO be married. and he wanted to be
! ahOuf the CDuSrrn ruatfo, Of ~, >o,,-a..