Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1901-11-29
AN ANswER 10 AN 40.
me Case OF the Young Man Invited
40 Succeed Himself.

me Case OF the Young Man Invited
40 Succeed HIMSELF.
"In big city like New York" said a
man who has made a success OF life In
the metropolis TO reporter. "a young
msn In that happy irresponsible period
when he is not endowed with either too
much money or too much care is pretty
certain 20 have some peculiar expert
ences-experiences rich in serio-comic
elements. where the grave and gay CO.
mingle in the same adventure.
Il remember a laughable and yet a
rather serious incident which occurred
to me shortly after had come to the
city, very green young chap from the
country. I was reasonably we'll educat-
ell and possessed some excellent refer
ences. 50 it was not long before 1 found
position with an elderly lawyer whose
name was Marston.
Il was TO be his secretary, but In
reality l was the general factotum-
that is. did everything-wrote ponder
Gus letters to clients. kept books and
swept up, and when winter came 1
added the duties OF stove engineer to
my other multifarious vocations.
"Well. this was not so bad, and 1
would have been perfectly satisfied, but
what CALLED me was that nothing 1 did
suited the old man. If wrote letter.
IL was either too short or too long; II
swept up. l had either not sprinkled
the floor enough or l had put too much
water on IT,
HE was. In fact, such n crank that I
was tired of my position and of the old
man, and had good reasons to suspect
that he entertained a similar affection
for me. At any rate, had learned
from previous secretaries OF his land
they We're legion) that he was not In
the habit OF keeping a man in his en-
ploy for more than six months, and I
had already been with him whole
ycarI
so l decided TO get out before II
came to an open breach. I'm which case
| would be out recommendation. and
inserted an al. In paper stating that
| wanted position as secretary. The
next morning | went 10 the newspaper
office. where the clerk handed me two
letters. One was from an employment
agency. stating that they had places to
burn. threw that I'm the wastebasket.
The other seemed more businesslike.
II read:
My secretary viii leave me on Saturday when
the position will be open. Kindly call before that
| date. with references. on JoIN MARsroN
Now, you may imagine my amaze
mentl Between the humor of the sit
uation and the grave prospect OF losing
my position / was lost In n medley of
| conflicting emotions. But the idea of
| getting my own position when had
vacated IL, OF myself succeeding my
self and the trap into which the old
man had fallen was too much for my
| optimistic disposition. was con-
vulsed with mirth.
This happened on Monday. Sat
urday came and was almost crazed
with expectation. During the morning
the old man was somewhat nervous. rs
II he expected some one who hadn't
shown up. At last he couldn't contain
himself any longer.
Has there been no young man
here this morning wanting 10 see me 7
No! Well. II he does come. tell him
10 wait for me in my private office
but the mysterious young man
failed to show up and had not yet ap-
peared when Mt . o'clock the old man
bounced into his office, wearing n rath-
| er disappointed expression.
Has that young man not been here
yetT he demanded.
You mean the fellow you sent for
TO take my posltlonr inquired.
He jumped up as IL some one had
thrown glass OF ice water down his
back.
why, who told you thatY he cried
You, YOURSELF ] replied. 4 am the
man whose ad. you answered.
There was a moments silence. Then
q CLEAN OF humor stole into the old fel
lows eyes. You're n brighter boy
than / first gave you credit for he
said. 4 guess we had better stick to-
gether.'
''But we didn't for the following
week ] inserted another al. and got a
position that was more secure and
where the boss was less eccentric."-
=.