The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-08-25
HzErnanfzfnS
The Machine
H We been ordered to report u .

1 YOU, sir, for orders said
boyish and somewhat diffdent voice
Head of Department Williams
looked up irritabIy Things had been
going amiss on the wholesale crock
cry fioOr that morning. An invoics
of goods had been sent TO the wrong
customer, and there had been a ehOl-
eric letter in consequence; and by
mistSke another small invoice had
been charged to an out-of-town deal
er whose credit had been recently
bIacklisted. Two errors ike that in
one morning. especially in such d
methodical and clockIike-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 al
the desk, and he could never quite
get over the ineongruity of his posi-
tion over them.
You're no good he said. brusque-
". as he shot a quick. comprehensive
look at the frzil figure before him;
I'VE want a strong man who Is able
TO lift boxes and handle heavy crock
cry
IN do the best can. sir"
.'Oh, of course; that's understood.
Well, if they've sent you TO me l
must make the best of IL Here
Ton," 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
+ impotence substituted ~duffer- in
[ stead-~and show him about unpaek-
ing and distributing that new lot of
4 Dresden. And, oh. say as the new
/ man Redeemed and turned to follow
+ his guide, what's your Nance"
! Williams
HIM The chief turned to his
books again, and made the third err
ror of that morning. charging d
dozen plates where he should have
credited them. He did not ike So
many namesakes, and there were az.
ready three or four WiIliamses in the
I establishment Wei. thank good
ness. this was not a poor cousin
who would look TO him for favor
Presently the mail was brought IN
and several papers and letter were
tossed on his desk. He picked up this
letter and opened it carelessly; but
as he did so his indifference became
amazement. and he glanced quickly
back at the address to assure himseii
of its reality. Yes. there it was
Mr.. John Williams. at Burton 1
True's.~ and the invitation was a.
straightforward and direct as ths
most skeptical could wish. a eordia
request for his company at an in
formal Thanksgiving dinner on tn,
morrow. and signed by Mrs Thorn
dyke Ware"
He drew a long breath. All the ,:
years of his life had been passed il
the city. but he had never received al
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 emplo,
Of Burton & True. as sweeper in tn,
basement. II years before. he ha,
given all the force of his strong. de
termined nature to the mastery a
the business Society and social in
tercourse had been closed-and. a:
he thought, an Undesired-bo0k I:
him: but this cordially worded in
vitation brought him a thrill such a.
had never come TO him through am
of his promotions from one depart
ment to another. But still he couis
not quite understand it. The othel
clerks received Invitations. but the,
were something entirely differen
from this. Mrs. Thorndyke Var