Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1903-01-14

said. "While the guests were arriv-
ing I could only just bid you well
come. Now, how is Agnes and how
are your sisters2"
"It is about them 1 wish 70 speak"
he said, bluntly. "Mr. Ware asked
me II my people were well, and one
Of your daughters just asked me II
my sisters we're coming to the city
soon. Now, / am alone in the world.
My mother has been dead ten years,
and 1 had any sisters. There
has been a mistake"
"Aren't you John Williams, at Bur-
ton & True's2"
eyes"
She looked puzzled.
''Is there another clerk Of the same
name in the establishments"
"Not that 1 know of. There are sew
eral Williamses, but 1 do not think any
of them are named John"
at is curious. Agnes Williams
wrote me that her SON was coming to
the city to engage with Burton &
True, and that she hoped I would look
after him a little. She is an old school
friend of mine. I thought that you ap-
peared rather older than her son
could be-"
swell, my being here is a mistake"
he said, gravely. "But you must allow
me to thank you, Mrs. Ware, for the
pleasantest evening of my life. I will
go now. I am sorry for the person
whose place 1 have usurped, but I IAN
not help being a little glad on my own
account. 1t has given me something
to think about and has shown me there
III o sides to life than a narrow
minded man sometimes Sees"
"But, really, you must not go until
the end of the evening" Mrs. Ware in
terposed, pleasantly. SIT has been a
mistake, certainly; but I hope you will
no4 make that a reason for leaving us"
He shook his head.
81 would better 60" he answered.
ct do not like to take advantage of mis-
takes"
When he saw the new man come in
the next morning he left his desk with
a sudden presentiment of the truth.
"What did you say your name WASP"
Williams, sir"
"John?"
Eyes; John Williams"
"H'ml"
81 am Mr.. Burton's nephew" the new
man continued, blandly, land am
learning the routine of each depart
ment, with a view of entering the firm
in January. Iwould have told you this
yesterday if you had given me an OPP
portunity. But I am afraid I shall have
to ask you to excuse me from handling
the heavy boxes. I am not particu-
larry robust, and must content myself
with the lighter work."
"Very we'll"
Head of Department Williams creed
was to view the world as a huge ma
chine, Of which he and his fellow
clerks were cogs. Emotion of any kind
was looked down upon by him as un-
businesslike; so now he turned stoical-
" to his desk, and his copy clerk
thought he had merely been giving
some orders to the new man.
But ell through the day there was a
peculiar light in the ma~tter-of-fact
eyes Of the chief, and when he went TO
his boarding house that night he did
not turn to his books, as usual, but
sat gazing out across the tWinkling
lights Of the great city, thinking.
In the main Office a few weeks later
Mr.. Burton suddenly laid down his
pen.
"Do you know, True" he said, con-
h~dentially, Il believe our machine
clerk, williams, Is becoming human
lied. ] actually caught him lifting o.
beggar child out of the mud to-day
and saw him giving her pennies. I
must ask him up to the house some
time. / wouldn't be surprised II there
was considerable good material be-
meath that shell Of his"
ayes" answered Mr.. True, poisinR
his pen %meditatively above his ledger
81 think you are right. Williams has
been a good automaton, but I always
held that a business man could not
reach the best success by mere me
chanical ability" and then both bent
ver their desks and were speedily lost
in the computations evolved by their
swiftly moving pens-N. Y. Times.