The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1895-11-22

he was busy helping the clerks. BY and
byMr. Adams came into the back part
of the store where his new sub-clerk
was engaged in marking keg.
almost through there, Mathers ?" he
asked. We'll, wish you'd tackle the
back storeroom. It's in such confusion.
and we've all been too busy to see to it
properly"
"You want it put in order?" asked An
drew, doubtfully. He foresaw more
sweeping, ETC., than seemed dignified for
q sub-clerk.
"Yes, it needs it decidedly" and the
merchant passed on. He wondered how
Andrew could hold OUT he was 'the
best of the lot, so far" he thought, re-
gretfully. For the trial was coming,
and by the boys face it looked rather
dubious.
Andrew explored the back room,
and decided on what he considered
most brilliant scheme. Calling the err
rand boy aside, he told him about the
| storeroom and showed him bright
| half-dollar. Jim was tempted, and ac-
cepted the offer, promising to have the
place ready that afternoon at the earli-
est hour possible. But there were so
many errands to be done that by three
o'clock Jim had found not minutes
leisure, and Mr.. Adams, as ill-lucl
would have it, happened to go to the
storeroom for something he wanted
about that time, and discovered the still
foriorn condition of matters, and the
fact that Andrew had secretly hired
Jim to do the work, while he loafed IN
the front of the store, anxious to show
off the fact of his rise in the business
world.
And that night Andrew Mathers re-
ceived days wages, and politely
regretful dismissal = reason unas-
| signed.
1t was almost two weeks after the
sign had first gone up that Charley
Winchester applied at the office.
In all that time no boy had seemed to
suit. Evidently the need was not a
pressing one; there were plenty of
clerks, seemingly, and fairly good er-
rand boy. The Adams store seemed
able to exist without that peculiar kind
of boy, and yet its owners were still
ON the warpath, apparently searching
for some as yet unheard-of specimen of
boyhood.
Charley had not thought of applying
at first. He was attending school still,
and working hard and steadily every
moment outside of school hours; for
the Winchesters were poor, although
/ thew had Inn hot tar 40
poverty is the hardest of all to bear. as
Charley well knew; and it was his hope
and his aim to bring about brighter
times as soon as he could.
| He was anxious to be in school; for he
realized that his education would fit
him to fill higher position than he
could find without it. But after talk
with his principal, with the minister
and the leader of night school he
found that he could advance as rapidly
by attending the evening classes, with
the addition of two studies in which the
principal could still allow him to con-
tinue, as though he were to remain in
the high school. And he had learned
| from the other boys that the subclerk
was TO have two hours day free for
school work; for Mr.. Adams knew very
well what was the value of an educa-
| ton.
Charley smiled pleasantly at the little
fellow, and he evidently was as courte-
| Gus to such customers as to their dig
| niied elders.
About ten o'clock, on Charley's first
| morning, Mr.. Adams, Sr., came down
the store to the counter, where his
young subclerk was doing up little
bag of nails for Johnny Smith.
'Oh, by the way, Winchester" said
Mr.. Adams, Il wish you'd tackle the old
back storeroom, the ell to the large
! storeroom we use now. The old one
| has been waiting some time for a good
cleaning out. You can begin when you
see chance, some time" That was
leaving Charley quite a margin; and
Arthur or Tom, his predecessors, would
| surely have put it off until a more con-
venient season-till tomorrow, at any
! rate.
| But Charley soon found out from the
clerks that he was not needed in the
store, and would not be, probably. for
the rest of the morning, and he went at
once OH his fateful expedition. He dis
covered the same chaos which had con-
quered the explorers before him, but he
set resolutely to work. He could not
help wondering at, and rather CRITICS.
ing, the carelessness of his employer,
| though lle tried TO excuse him as far as
he could.
that order must be restored, even at this
late day; and how he did work! All the
rest of the morning he rolled and piled