The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-01-02
Humanizini
the Machine
7 We been ordered to report to

- 1SN1 w ASPoAV -
l you, sir, for ORDERS said
boyish and somewhat diffident voice
Head of Department William.
locked up irritably. Things had bee
going amiss on the wholesale crock
cry floor that morning. An invoic:
of goods had been sem to the wrong
customer, and there had been a chol
eric letter in consequence: and by
mistake another small invoice hat
been charged to an out-of-town deal
er whose credit had been recently
blacklisted. Two errors like that il
one morning, especially in such q
mcthodical 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 al
the desk, and he could never quite
get over the incongruity of his posi-
ton over them.
You're no good" he said, brusque-
~, as he shot a quick, comprehensive
look at the frail figure before him:
w want a strong man who is able
to lift boxes and handle heavy crock
cry"
I'll do the best I can, sir"
On, OF course; that's understood.
Well, if they've sent you to me l
must make the best or it. Here
Iom,' 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
1mpatience substituted ssduffer'' in
stead-"and show him about unpack-
ing and distributing that new lot of
Dresden. And. oh. I say" as the new
man Redeemed and turned to follow
his guide, whats your name?"
Williams"
"H'm!" The chief turned to his
books again, and made the third err
TOR of that morning, charging a
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 a 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
as he did so his indifference became
amazement. and he glanced quickly
back at the address to assure himself
OF its reality. Yes. there it was,
MI. John Williams. at Burton &
lrue,s," and the invitation was as
straightforward and direct as the
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
thescity, but he had never received an
invitation like this before-nor. in
deed, many invitations. of any kind
HesWas entirely alone in the world
ana slnce ne had entered the employ
of Burton & True, as sweeper il the
basement, II years before, he had
given all the force of his strong, de-
termined nature to the mastery of
the business. Society and social in
.tercourse had been a closed-and. as
he thought. an undesired-book to
but this cordially worded in
ysitation brought him a thrill such as
had Y come to him through any
Of his promotions from one depart
mem TO another. But still he could
not quite understand it. The other
Jerks received invitations, but they
yeres something entirely different
tom this. Mrs. Thorndyke Ware