The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-05-08
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'MICGLES"
HE busy man looked up and
BY n. S. KELLER.
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find the rosy-cheeked. boy
ish face peeping at him over the top
of his desk; he only frowned because
he had forgotten this same young
chap who was here yesterday looking
for work-and was now here for the
half-promised chance. And the busy
man had forgotten all about the
former visit until now.
The busy man had always told the
clever young men who belonged to
the great newspaper that the mean
lest word in the English language was
s'forgot." No excuse for failing to
do a certain piece Of work could pos
sibly be worse than forgot" Often
he had cautioned them against 1t;
often he had held the fatal word.
f'discharge," before them as the pen
Alty. And nowhere he had gone and
enacted one of his cardinal sins.
That is why the busy man frowned.
: The rosy-cheeked face was glowing
with the exercise of 4 long walk
down town in the brisk morning air.
The eyes expressed a desire which
the lips were ready to speak-but
did not because the boy saw that the
man of yesterday was more busy
than before. So he stepped back
from the desk and began to study
the checked pattern Of his cap as he
twiddled it about from hand to hand.
He came to the lions den for work
II found 10 linn hnSv
then-but the lion told him to come
the following morning, when he
thought he could do something for
him. So he came-only to be met
by frown that seemed to him worse
than short, crisp words.
y He stood so far off from the desk
that the busy man could not see him
as he played with his cap. He rolled
the cap into a ball, held 1t in one
hand and punched it with the other.
Then he examined the button on the
crown, and saw it was ready to come
Oft did come off with wrench OF
the fingers. The cap was held in the
left hand, and the button was tossed
up into the air to be caught deftiy
between the fingers of the right hand.
Then he pursed up his lips, and gazed
In the direction of the desk. For the
first time there was look of anxiety
In his face. Why did not the busy
man tell him to- bcgone and have
done with the affair:
! A blush, more red than ever, came
over the clever young face as the
boys eyes fell upon a mirror hung
upon the opposite wall. In the mir
cor he saw the face of the busy man
and the kind looking eyes We're
peeping straight at him. In second
the slim form drew up as stiff as 4
ramrod, and the poor cap was once
more brought into play.
''Step up to the bar, young man,
and receive your sentence" uttered
the strange man.
| All semblance Of a frown had de-
parted from his face. He had studied
the boy in the mirror, and he had
been q boy once upon a time him
self.
Again the clever face peeped over
the top Of the desk, hope depicted
upon each feature, hope shining at
the busy man from the clear eyes.
II have looked over your letter
from the principal Of the school. He
says you are bright young man.
Letters do not always count in life.
Hes your friend, and has a natural
desire to wish for success for one of
his pupils. Go out and find an item
worth printing in to-morrow's paper,
and I'll start you in at eight dollars
a week. No. you need not thank me.
Get to work at once. Hustle, find
news, get news. Don't steal news
from others. Use your own nose for
news. Nose is great thing in news
affairs, and-1 am very busy now"
The boy was clever enough to see
that one more moment Of his pres
ence would clog affairs; and he went
away from the busy mans office as
though bent upon 4 mission of great
Import. He was after an item Of
news fit to print in to-morrow's pa
per. If not fit for use. his services
would not be required; If fit for use,
his salary was to be eight dollors per
week.
1t was a mission of great import to
Ray Farrell, and he intended to nose
out" that item or know the reason
why. Amateur Journalism and jug
CLING with school papers were all
very nice in their way. Here was
a possible opportunity to fill niche
in n great newspaper. The niche lie
had found. Ray would try to fill il
to the best of his ability.
When the busy man rose from his
desk he went to the street entrance.
stepped to the curb and looked up and
down. The boy had been gone for
hours. a dozen items fit to print
could have been secured in that
time. He was only u boy-aIl alike;
off on some foolish escapade, watch
ing ball game or something of the
sort when he should be attending to
business, and securing that item
which meant steady work and eight
dollars per week.
The busy man had started in at
three dollars per week years ago;
and he had to clean old ink rollers,
, run errands, carry papers, sweep Of
fee and do other odds and ends of
work. But here was a boy who had
been promised something if he would
bring In something.