Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-12-15

~ W. partosr. ma54s@ to "w si1 hji
vi we'll try him any,
way" Tim had
known he would not suit; and
time had only confirmed him in this
| conviction.
The lawyers were so sharp and
quick; their errands full of strange
| terms, hard to remember, and de-
spatched to strange places, hard to find.
And when he was left alone in the Of
flee, and other lawyers came in, all
quick and sharp, like his employers,
how confused he grew!
How he blundered at the telephonel
How he always failed to say the right
thing to the clients! How he hit upon
the utterly wrong thing to say to the
judge one day, and saw Mr.. Dodd slap
his long yellow envelope on the desk
and swing his chair around and look
at him, as much as to say, "You born
| dunce!'
"You don't seem to take hold as we
would like to have you," explained
Mr.. Dodd, counting out two two-dol-
loI JlllSy ONGI ILL d usual
weeks pay, but the last that he was
to receive from this employer-the
last, perhaps, he was ever to receive
from anybody, he thought, as he shut.
fed disconsolately down the stairs.
1t was sad story to tell to his
mother; though, of course, being his
mother, she would be easier than any
one else.
"Well, it's too bad, 'Timmie, losing
your very first place, but I suppose
you can look around for another one"
ooh, yes" replied Tim, choking up
at her sympathy. But when he went
to his own room and looked out of the
window, itreally did not seem anyuse.
1t was the recommendation from his
grammar school that got him this place;
but now he hadn't any recommenda-
tion. And who would take dis
charged ofice-boy?
However, next morning he faithfully
copied out all the "Boy Wanted" adj
vertisements in the Sunday paper, and
on Monday started out early to try his
| luck. At moor he came home discour-
aged; at supper time he had no ap-
| petite at all.
Sometimes the place had just been
taken by another boy. The "Help
Wanted" column had many readers, it
seemed. Sometimes bigger boy
than Tim was wanted, and how Tim
wished he was tall Sometimes it was
a smaller boy, and Tim regretted his
long trousers.
Sometimes the faces of the women
clerks, looking sidewise from their
desks at the candidate for Harrys or
Charley's position, froze his courage
completely. His voice sank low, and
he grew in his own esteem twice as
shabby and humble as lie really was.
Then he saw clouds of doubt gather
ing on the face Of the manager or
floor walker, and heard him conclude
the examination with blunt "You
won't do" or, perhaps, the more
evasive 'Well, 1 think We'll make
other arrangements" or, gentlest of
all, but knelling with no less certainty
the doom of his modest application,
Leave me your address, so that il
we should want you we shall know
where to send"
Two weeks of constant rejection
sapped Tins hope most lamentably.
He dreaded to turn an office door
knob. He began to look upon en-
ployers as II class apart from other
men, of stern, inquisitorial temper
and disposition that could not be
pleased.
"It's too bad we haven't some
friend who could get you a place,
Timmie," Iaid his mother. That was
just what Tim had been thinking,
himself. Naturally, lie and his mother
had certain traits in common. "But
can't think OF any; so you'll keep on
trying, like good boy. won't you?"
"Oh, yes" replied Tim, "I'll keep
on trying"
But two months went by, and he
hadn't energy enough left for n real,
hearty try. To be sure, he dreamed
every night of golden strokes of for
tune, and usually started toward town
in the morning determined to "do
som ething, anyway" But even this
vague determination oozed away after
he had crossed his threshold; and the
upshot of every journey was random
saunter through the streets, with his
hands in his pockets and far away,
desolate look in his eyes.
| Now and then he would stop at q
store window with q sudden Jerk,
then turn aside after short survey,
move on to the next corner and halt q
minute before he decided whether to
proceed to the right or to the left. He