The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1903-03-06
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u poser?
''Yes, sir"
"Never worked in q store before?'
"No, sir"
swell, you can make a beginning
right here, then. Five dollars a week
at first. The cashier will give you
your check every Saturday night. Be
quick about your work and say lit
tie"
The manager pressed button in
the wall above his desk, and a small
lad few rather than walked into the
Office in obedience to the summons.
"Show this young man down to
floor one, and tell Mr.. Bell he takes
Woods place"
The manager turned to a pile Of
letters upon his desk, and Randall
Greer followed the messenger boy to
the elevator and went whizzing down,
down, with rapidity that made his
head swim.
Mr.. Bell was tall, thin young man
who gave the country youth a gener
al outline of his duties in as few
words as possible, and then turned
him over to a fat, heayyfaced boy
of about Randall's own age, to whom
he was to apply for additional infor-
nation.
The fat youth had the softly femi-
but he was known to his fellow-clerks
as ''Stebby."
Randall's somewhat slow move
ments and rural appearance amused
the city-bred Stebby not a little; but
he was gOod-natured enough to hide
the very expressive wink which dis
figured one side of his face when
introductory remarks" to the new
boy.
Stebby, like many young men of
his class, mistooll vulgarity for clev-
erness. And, in his way of looking
at people, he differed materially from
the keen-eyed manager above stairs.
Now, the manager had only noted
that the boys clothes were we'll
worn although neat; but he saw
something infinitely pleasing in the
manly, honest face, serious despite
it's boyishness, while Stebby could
have told the exact date on which
the home-laundried collar went out
of style. And the manager had
looked with something akin to envy
at the big, red hands, so obviously in
their owners way. He, too, had spent
the years of his boyhood on a farm,
and Randall Greer's hands carried
him back to that long-past time.
But Stebby's observant eye took in
at a glance the fact that the boys
coat sleeves were fully three inches
too short. So much depends upon
our way of looking at things.
While attending to his allotted du-
ties that first day. Randall kept con-
tinually in mind the managers adj
monition to be quick And, when
evening came, he could scarcely re-
member when he had been so tired.
Following the pillow all day seemed
play in comparison with a calling
that demanded he should be here,
there and everywhere continually.
The network of wires above his
head, the unceasing whir of the cleo
trio fans, the little baskets constantly
sailing to and fro on their miniature
trelleys, the never-ending chatter,
chatter that went on around him
fairly made him dizzy.
dozen times he had wished him
self back, guiding old, carefully.step-
ping Dolly through the long, straight
rows of young green corn, with the
smell of the sweet-scented earth fresh
in his nostrils. and the songs of a
hundred birds floating on flower
breathed winds to his ears.
But the boy had about him GER
tain logged resolution. He knew he
was not going back. He was going
to stay right where he was.
He was leaving the store that even
ing, when Mr.. Bell called to him.
'Any friends in the city, Greer?"
'No, sir"
"Got boarding place. YETI"
''No, sir"
''Well, No. 27S4 on the second block
from here is a good place for the
money, and respectable. Several of
our men board there. The top floor
is only So week and four in room.
They pay much more below. As you
go up here, you can go down over
there. you know" he said with a
raLhes grim smile at his own wit. II
thought I'd tell you, as they are lit