The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-15
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the Machine

We been ordered to report to
1 you, sir, for orders said a
boyish and somewhat diffident voice
Head of Department Williams
locked up irritably. Things had been
going amiss on the wholesale crock
cry floor that morning. An invoice
o. goods had been sent to the wrong
customer, and there had been a chol-
eric letter in consequence; and by
mistake another small invoice had
been charged to an out-of-town deal
er whose credit had been recently
blacklisted. Two errors like that in
one morning, especially in such a
methoIical and clocklike-work de
partment as the wholesale crockery,
was enough to upset the equanimity
of its chief. True, he was head of
the department, and senior clerk in
service, but there were gray-haired
men under him who were in every
way competent to take his place at
the desk, and he could never quite
get over the incongruity of his posi-.
lion over them.
-'You're no good" he said, brusque-
ly, as he shot a quick, comprehensive
look at the frail figure before him;
"we want a strong man who is able
to lift boxes and handle heavy crock
cry"
IN do the best I can, sir"
"Oh, of course; that's understood
Well, if they've sent you to me
must make the best of it. Here
Tom," to a broad-shouldered man
who was wheeling a heavy truck
across the floor, take this''-he was
about to say young man, but in his
impatience substituted 'duffer" in
stead-"and show him about unpack-
ing and distributing that new lot of
Dresden. And, oh, l say" as the new
man redeemed and turned to follow
his guide, whats your name?"
civilians"
Him" The chief turned to his
books again, and made the third en-
ror of that morning, charging
dozen plates where he should have
credited them. He did not like so
many namesakes, and there were al
ready three or four Williamses in the
establishment. Well, thank good
ness! this was not poor cousin
who would look to him for favor.
Presently the mail was brought in,
and several papers and a letter were
tossed on his desk. He picked up the
letter and opened it carelessly; but
ho l. /
amazement, and he glanced quickly
back at the address to assure himself
of its reality. Yes, there it was,
Mr.. John Williams. at Burton &
True's," and the invitation was as
traightforward and direct as til e
most skeptical could wish. a cordial
request for his company at an in
formal Thanksgiving dinner on the
morrow. and signed by Mrs. Thorn
dyke Ware"
He drew a long breath. All the %
years of his life had been passed in
the city, but he had never received an
invitation like this before-nor. in
deed, many invitations of any kind
He was entirely alone in the world,
and since he had entered the employ
of Burton e. True, as sweeper in the
basement, IL years before, he had
given all the force of his strong, de-
termined nature 20 the mastery of
the business. Society and social in
tercourse had been a closed-and, as
he thought, an unGesired-book to
him; but this cordially worded in
vitation brought him thrill such as
had never come to him through any
of his promotions from one depart
ment TO another. But still he could
not quite understand it. The other
clerks received invitations, but they
were something entirely different
from this. Mrs. ThornGyke Ware