Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-19


cussed minor cases with clients with as much
industry as If romance we're not possible to his
nature Not a word had been said about mat
rimGny, and things went on. therefore, as usual
until one dag, toward the close of business
nours. old John called young Jim into the
private Office and said:
James it was always James when formal
business was at hand and always Jim when the
father was either affectionate or irritated-
James. You have been now more than two
years out OF college and during that time you
nave done pretty well in this business. You
might have done heap sight better in college
II your idiotic father hadn't given you much
money to spend. However. you got your sheep
skin and you know my sentiments that mat
ter. You haven't done half badly here and L We
made up my mind to promote you. Under
stand, James, you are at liberty to withdraw
now and become anything you choose. Do
you want to be an actor"
No. governor" replied Jim, Il can't act"
Il thought so when 1 saw your tomfoolery in
the amateur performance last winter. Want to
be a literary man, artist, or an amateur
photographer
No, governor. wan. to be a lawyer"
Good on your head, / always believed
somehow or other in your horse sense. Now,
listen, James-this is the last place where the
roads divide; there amt any more turns.
Your like nun who has served her novitiate.
From this day you either remain in the world.
a clerk In my office, if you like, OF you become
lawyer. lou choose to take the veil, Ell?
All right. You are lawyer. You We been adj
mitted to the bar. Now. l make you my part
ner. the first, and, God grant. the only one
shall ever associate with. Sit still, you young
scamp No thanks, You've earned your
rights. but You don't suppose, do You, that
you re going to become an equal partner all at
once! Not much. When your talent and ex
perlence bring much to the business as
mine do you share even. and not till then.
Meantime. II show you how you can get on.
IhereupOn old Pendragon went into an ex-
PLANTATION OF an elaborate plan whereby Jim, If
be should prove able and faithful, would in
crease his annual income from very modest
beginning to an amount that would serve hand
somely for any reasonable man. Old John took
pains. while saying nothing of matrimony, to
impress II upon Jlms mind that 1t would be
many years at the best before he could reason
ably think o. taking a wife. And James Pen
dragon, son of his father, held his peace and
bided his time, all the while determined to out
Wit the old gentleman at the earliest opportu-
nifty.
And, by the way, Jim," said old John when
all the arrangements had been concluded, in
your partial capacity Of office manager | sug-
gest that you improve the clerical force. 1
can't look after them in detail, but there
certainly some careless people in our employ.
That typewriter, for instance. made me spend
a solid hour correcting her errors in the tran
scription OF a complaint the other day. That's
only an instance, mind, and if you can i'm
prove the service Of the office 60 ahead and do
it."
Jim left the Office that afternoon deeply i'm
pressed with the change in his relation to bust
1t IS and life in general. Far into the night he
lay awake thinking, giving considerable share
OF attention TO the immI diate needs of the Wall
street office and good deal more to methods
and schemes that might accelerate his own
progress and conduce to the desired develop
ment of the romance that glowed in his heart
y do. liz
day. The energy with which he went about his
work was not lnfrequently nullited by blaIk
pause IN which he found himself rejecting
solely upon his individual affairs. After several
occurrences OF these paUses be decided that this
would never do and ne set himself resolutely
to the affairs OF the office. He would settle the
matter of the careless typewriter at once and
accordingly he summoned the young lady to
him. He fully intended to give her a weeks
notice, but before she had reached his private
room it occurred to him that he ought first to
provide a competent successor and then DIS
miss the present incumbe mt with a weeks extra
pay, thus instantly improving the service: and
this thought was followed by another OF such
mOmentous Importance that when the young
lady opened the door he said with fice that
was all smiles:
Il beg your pardon Miss Hastings; / find /
do not need you just now,' and Miss Hastings
retired to resume her novel, much pleased at
the circumstance.
All the rest of the day Jim worked furiously.
but that he was half conscious o. his new
thought was shown BY the amused smile that
flckered across his face every few minutes
He left the Office little earlier than usual and
went TO one OF the several schools of type
writing that flourish in New York, institutions
where young women learn TO be operators and
pay for their tuition out of the wages they
receive for an unknown time after they have
secured employment Young Pendragon asked
many questions about the cost OF learning to
use the machine, the time required to acquire
proficiency and the like, and before he left he
mad made provisional arrangement for a
special pupil, who WAS to be favored with all
her progress might be as rapid as possible.
Then he went home with a bounding heart.
and that amused smile never lett his face
In the evening he went directly to preten-
engraving upon the doorplate reduced to plain
English type was
INGALLS,.
Miss Ingalls, was at home-Jim knew she
would be-and between them there ensued an
interview which proved to be of the utmost
Importance to the young man and without
which this story might have been impossible.
Just what the conversation was need not be
stated: in fact could not repeat the phrases if
L would; but it doesn't matter. as the results
are the only things that concern US. Jim came
down the steps late il the evening a smile still
upon his face, little more Get and determined
perhaps, than before. but yet a smile. and his
step was as firm and his pace as rapid as before.
During the next several weeks there were AZ
many different typewriters employed In the
Pendragons office. None of them succeeded
In suiting the captious fancy of the younger
partner, but not one left his EMPLOYMENT be-
fore he had secured al opportunity for her
elsewhere. With each change there ensued
brief communications between the mistress of
the School and young Pendragon, a wonder
fu boy III the latter Office acting as the bearer
of dispatches. The frequency OF these errauds
disturbed the serenity OF this boys reflections.
but he could make nothing out OF them.
Il don see wots got into Jim" he confided
to his next superior.a minor clerk who dreamed
that some day he would read law; AL de girls
up to de school an de woman wot runs II is
gittin' onter me. Wen dey sees me come i'm
with a note from Jim dey grin an seems to be
askin' who nexH 1t makes me blush, it does.
an don't like it"
The office boy was not the only one who OBJ
served and commented upon the frequent
changes at the writing machine.
SAY, jim, exclaimed old John Pendrapon
bursting into his sons room one morning, If
this procession is going to keep up much longer
wish you'd catalogue EN- or stick tags on EN-
or something of that kind SO that can know
what to call en- Why not number the girls.
eli. Blessed if l didn't come near mistakino
your latest for a clientn'
Young Pendragon leaned back in his chair
just after the manner OF his father when Sc
rious matters were under discussion and re-