Evening star., 1899-07-08
IN RESPONSE TO AN AD


There was but one job, and there were six
| boys. 1t was four minutes, standard time
| after the first bunch of Stars, fresh from
| the presses, had begun to go off at The
| Star desk. The six boys had been lettering
outside The Star office, regarding each
| other suspiciously while they waited for
! the paper Their purpose was to be No. L.
| each and all of them, in coming the Help
| Wanted ads. in The Star. They all got
paper at practically the same time, they
| all turned to the Help Wanted column
at practically the same instant and they
| all saw at once that there was only one
Boy Wanted" ad. worth a sprint-bundle
| wrapper in department store. three and
half per week. Regarding each other out
OF the tails of their respective eyes, they
made for the door and started to sprint
| FOR the F street department store. 1t was
dead heat between the entire six of them.
They pulled up at the delivery clerks side
door at the same instant-although they
| had taken. different routes--and they all
asked in a breath where the delivery clerk
(the individual designated in the ad as the
employer of bundle wrappers) happened to
be at that moment.
q wan outside the door and wait for
| him. said a boy who, already being in
possession of job in the delivery depart
ment, was not unnaturally naughty and in
every sense superior to the hoverers at the
gates. The grandeur of a boy who has got
d job In his relationship to boys who are
only hunting for a job is a manifestation
worth the price of admission, anyhow
The average age of the six boys was
about thirteen years. Two of them were
quite scrubbed and done up, with nice little
knickerbockers, clean overhanging collars,
and other indications that they had been
sent forth by fond mothers or sisters to
win out In the game of life. These two
scrubbed boys. while still regarding each
other suspiciously, yet held aloof from the
other four boys, who were not quite up to
w arI mo TNrxyn of
them, in fact. were quite souchy and com
mon'' looking. with long pants" peaked
caps bearing large advertising letters there
on, and the butts of surreptitiously smoked
cigarettes in their hands as they waited.
Another was large, coarse boy, whose
mouth indicated that he was addicted to
the mastication Of tobacco.
The sixth boy was a dark horse without
any of the other five suspecting 1t. He was
all boy. His suit was pretty well worn but
1t was brushed. His shoes were worn down
with stove polish, which made them appear
as If the boy had essayed bluff at getting
them to look the best they could look, any
now The boy needed a haircut but his
hair was brushed. He had around his neck
collar about four sizes too large for him.
which told of a raid, made with a good pur-
pose, on the collar repository of his big
brother or his father His face was clean,
and shiny, and freckled. He passed the
other hve boys up soon as he found that
1t was case of wait for the delivery clerk
ara, outside the door. he interested himself
to the exclusion OF everything else in an
aggregation of five fox terrier pups which a
coiored man had for sale on the pavement
He seemed to be content to let the other
nVe boys get in ahead Of him when the sig
mai came. The fashion with which he kept
his gaze away from the delivery clerks
door seemed almost fatalistic. All of the
other boys had their eyes glued to that door
when the boy with a job appea red.
Come on in, you kids, one at a time"
announced that important parsonage, ap-
pearing suddenly in the doorway. "The
boss 6oss'n have a look at you. Hey, you come
lrst, indicating the boy with the marks of
the tobacco juice around His mouth
You don't look swift enough for the job"
said the delivery clerk, disposng of this
one quickly Want a boy with action to
him. Wait outside till l see the Others" !
Hey, Archie, you can sail in now" said
the boy with job, appearing again at the
doorway and addressing one of the scrub
bed boys with knickerbockers and over
hanging collar.
"Um-ever worked before?" was the way
the delivery clerk tackled this boy
No, sir, and only want to work through
the school vacation replied the scrubbed
boy. in nice little trained voice Il don't
really have to work, you know, but
Don't, hey?" asked the delivery clerk
We'll, 1 want a boy that does have to
work, and 1 want a boy permanently That
will do, son."
Hey, you. Reggy, the boss'n dish you
up now" said the boy with a job. showing
the other scrubbed boy.
You don't have to work, either, 1 sup
pose?" said the delivery clerk, looking this
boy over.
''Er-um-yes, sir, If can find something
where can go home to dinner at o'clock
We have dinner at O'Clock at our house
and my mother won't let me take anything
where the hours are-''..
TOO bad, Johnny; but we couldn't ad-
just the hours here to your folks dinner
hour. Place doesn't close until 6, and
sometimes this department runs a whole
lot overtime.
You, there. Smoke. you can take hack
at the boss now announced the boy with
job. heaving in sight again. Better
on cigarettes
It don't want you." said the shipping
clerk to this boy, and that was all there
was about it
IT'S up to you. Bricktop." said the
naughty boy, already fixed out with job
and you'd better brush your clothes off
where you've been sitting down or he'll
pass you up for slob.''
II want a boy who knows how to keep
himself tidy" said the delivery clerk to
this boy. Great Scott. what a bunch of
boys, anyhow. Is that all, Jimmy?' ad-
dressing his small boy assistant.
There's kid out on the pavement mon
keying with some pups replied the boy
viii with job. Il guess he's hustlin'. I'll get
Hey, Mike he continued, going to the
door and calling to the dark horse, "cut
out the pups and sneak in here to see about
your job. Boss is waiting for you
The dark horse was through the drawn
up crowd of five disconsolate boys in
jiffy.
Ever worked before?" asked the deliv-
cry clerk, sizing this boy up with favora-
Bile eye.
"Since 1 was six. was the reply.
''The deuce you say-what at?' inquired
the delivery clerk.
Amy old thing-just hustlin," replied the
boy, who was all boy.
Dye like to work?"
Cant say I'm stuck on it, sir-but it's
case O. eat with me-
Come around tomorrow morning at half
past seven,' said the delivery clerk. and
the dark horse Sauntered out and beamed
triumphantly upon the other five as they
stood huddled about the door.
True Economy.
From Life.