The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1900-07-28
CHAPTER yIII.

hui DtCOlIlG ulOEOSC aTQ nuiI eFeELE 10
everything outside his own concerns.
Day after day he trampSd about the
town seeking employment, and even
went hungry at times to pay postage
upon the hnndfuls Of letters with
which he replied to advertisements for.
Help Wanted"--all without avail.
Everywhere he was met, when maxi
ing application for work such as he
deemed suited to his culture and ca
pacity, by the question, What eS-
,perience have you had in this line??'
OF course he had had none i'll that or
any other sort of bread winning. Then
he would not suit at all. He had even.
condescended to argue upon several
occasions that the particular work
proposed was so simple he could mas
ter It's requirements within an hour.
but the result was the same. He "had
no experience" and that settled it.
But the ~cruelcst thing, IS 1T seemed.
to him, was that when he sought en-
ployment ut coarse, manual labor his
decent clothing, gentlcmanly man
ners and educated speech, all caused
him to be viewed with suspicion and.
rejected.
The title of the translated Russian
novel upon a news stand caught his
eye, THE Superfluous Man." 1t clung
to his mind waking and sleeping. He
recognized it as himself. Yes, he WINS
""the supertluous man. and there was
no place in the world for him because
he had "never had experience" in any
thing. The only thing left for him APP
parently, he though was death, for
one needs no experience to die. While
he was maintaining this seemingly
hopeless struggle for existence the
trinkets in the little box that had
been his mothers We're becoming
fewer and fewer, and those now left
were of insignificant. value. Parting
with each little object he drew from.
the diminishing pile WINS n new pain,
for these, left until the last, were the
ones his mother used tos wear most.
But he had to eat and have shelter.
They were his only remaining re-
source, and one by one they went to
the pawnshop, whence he did not hope
eyer to reclaim them. So one evil day
chased another in monotonus success
sion,,each with it's weight of care and
gloom and voc
Thinking over these and
things that were all his own, Chester
speedily grew weary of the chatter of
the sewing girl, became monosyllabic
in his replies and finally seated him
self by the window i'll sullen silence,
hearing her voice as he would have
heard the twitter of a canary had one
been in the room, but no more.
He was waiting for her to go away.
The past twenty-four hours had.
been very eventful ones for him.
Yielding at last TO the pressure of adj
versity, he had the morning before
put his pride in his empty pocket and
gone to ask from the boss the up
pointnent Irma had solicited for him.
Mr.. Pratt received him with cour
tesy, tinged, however, as he fancied,
with offensive condescension, remcm-
bered him quite we'll and, more eN-
tr%nordinary yet in a politician, re-
membered his promise. Those who
knew Mr.. Pratt best averred tl,ut the
bower anchors of his boss-ship were
his strange faculty for remembering
his promises and his no less wonder
full talent in seeming to keep them
withoue doing so. Incidentally he
stirred Chester's bile, without intent
thereto, however, by inquiring:
.What experience have you had iii
practical politics, Mr.. Sewnll9"
Controlling himself as well as he
could, the young man replied politely,
but with emphasis:
None whatever, Mr.. Pratt. The
only experience of any kind that !
have had has been in the attainment
of the knowledge that l have had no
experience whatever i'll anything. Ed
u%cation, l learn, does not count as en-
perience. doubt If l have had ex-
p%erience enough to enable me to drive
u horse car"
The politician opened his eyes wide
in surprise at the applicants enigmat-
lcnl disavowal OF experience, but con-
fined his speech to replying iInpcr-
turbly:
"oh, well, experience is very ncces-
sary to enable one to drive q horse
car well.''
That literal acceptance Of his words
e~ffectnally silenced the young man,
and Mr.. Pratt went on:
With your education, natural tai
ent and social advantages; it stands
to reason you would no doubt be of
great service to the party and attain
for yourself distinction and propor-
tomato fortune-whcn you had ex-
pericnce. You see for yourself that
the party would not be justified i'll.
comforting any very prominent posi-
ton upon a wholly inexperienced
u1an, however superlative his genius
might be. Doing SO would awaken
too many %jealousies and involve too
much risk of grave interests. Be-
sides, until you have had ON expert
encc. there is 10 telling how your tai
ehts could best be utilized: Your en-,
Standardization is a good foundation
for success"
II believe / may claim to have a
pretty Thorough acquaintance With
the political history of Greece and
Rome"
'.Ah, indeed. We'll that is "a great
deal. You can hardly appreciate the
immense Importance of that knowl-
edge until you come to apply it in
American practical politics."
There was not a twinkle in the
"boss'" eye, or u suspicious tone iii.
his voice, yet Chester had an c
Portable consciousness that what he.
had said struck Mr.. Pratt MS very
lndicrous. And his impression to4thatH
effect was correct.
all events continued the lead
er, there is no hurry. For several.
months to come there will be nothing
going OH but district organization and
general preparatory work, which is
almost entirely in the hands Of the
central committee. During that time
you had better get a foothold in the
Eleventh assembly district. If you
don't live in it already yon will do
well t omove there soon. i will give
you q note to q man you ought to
know. Cultivate Kim 4 little, and he
will post You and introduce you
around to the boys, and between US
4 guess we can find something tenn
porarily for you as a start. Wien we
know you better, Mr.. sSeWan, I have
no doubt we will be able to do better
for you, but the main thing at. pres
ent is to geta localgfoothold. Drop.
in and see nj again iii a few days.
Willie speaking Mr.iPratt had been
rapidly scrawling a note Of i~ntrodnc.
ton which he handed to Chester as he
said ina few days d phrase which
the young man rightly accepted as Il
dismissal.
.You win find Mr.. cofrerty ain