The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-25

our experience HAS Deen a flnOSG
entertaining one, remarked Holmes,
as his client paused and refreshd his
memory with huge pinch of snuff.
'HPray continue your very interesting
statement. -i
"There was nothing in the office but
couple of wooden chairs and a deal
table, behind which sat small man,
with head that was even redder than
mine. He said few words to each can
didate as he came up, and then he
always managed to find some fault in
them which would disqualify them.
Getting a vacancy did not seem to be
| such a very easy matter, after all.
However, when our turn came, the little
! man was more favorable to me than to
any of the others, and he closed the
door as we entered, SO that he might
have a private word with u.s.:
H'This is Mr.. Jabez Wilson, said
my assistant, land heis willing to fill a
vacancy in the league
! '"'And he is admirably suited for
| it., the other answered. eHe has every
requirement. I cannot recall when l
have seen anything SO fine He took a.
step backward, cooked his head on one
side, and gazed at my hair until [ felt
quite sbashful. Then suddenly he
plunged forward, wrung my hand, and
Congratulated me warmly on my sue
cess.
a.. 1t would be injustice to hesitate,
said he. you will, however, am sure,
excuse me for taking an obvious pre-
caution With that he seized my hair
in both his hands, and rugged until L
yelled with the pain. HThere Is water
in your eyes, said he, as he released
me. Il perceive that all is as it should
be. But we have to be careful, for we
have twice been deceived; by wigs and
once by paint. [ could tell you tales OF
cobbler's wax which would disgust you
with human nature He stepped over
to the window, and shouted thru it at
the top Of his voice that the vacancy
was filed. A groan of disappointment
came up from below, and the folk all
trooped away in different directions,
seen except my own and that OF the
;" MY name said he, lis Mr.. Dun
can Ross, and I am myself one of the
pensioners upon the fund left by our
noble benefactor. Are you married
ily21n 4,4 49,
ellis face fell Immediately.
Dear mel he said gravely, that
Is very serious indeed! I am sorry to
hear you say that The fund was, of
course, for the propagation and spread
of the red-heads as well as for their
maintenance. It is exceedingly unfor-
"My face heightened at this, Mr..
Holmes, for I thought that I was not
to have the vacancy after all; but, after
thinking it over for few minutes, he
said that it would be all right:
I'm the case. of another said he
the objection might be. fatal, but we
with such head of hair as yours. When
shall you be able to enter upon your
new duties?'
i" well, it is little awkward, fol
have business already said L.
~ oh, never mind about that, Mr.
: wilson, said Vincent Spaulding.
J shall be able to look after that for you
, q 1Ten to two
, "Now a pawnbroker's business Is
' mostly done of an evening, Mr.. Holmes
|, especially Thursday and Friday even
: ings, which is just before pay day; 81
D little in the mornings. Besides, I knew
t that my assistant was a good man, ant
y that he would see to anything tina
t turned up.
$ q THAT would suit me very well,
said I: And the. pay?'
e ats "a week.
|. "'And the work?'
lis purely nominal
"'What do you call purely nom
;, inal9'
u u :" well, you have to be in the office
or at least in the building, the Who'll
time. If you leave you forfeit you
whole position forever: The will i
a. very clear upon that point. You don
q from the Office during that time -
y "tIt's only four hours a day, and
: should not think Of leaving, said l..
j. "'No excuse will avail said MI
q Duncan Ross; 'neither sickness no
q business nor anything else. There ,yo
- must stay, or you lose your billet.
And the work9' =.
e rs. to copy out the Encyclopedi
q own ink. pens and blotting paper, bu
- we provide this table and chair. Wi
~ you be ready tomorrow
9 Certainly [ answered.
q 'Then, goodby, Mr.. Jabez Wilson
a and let me congratulate you once NOR
:. on the important position which 20
r, have been fortunate enough to gain
20 He bowed me out of the room, and
10 went home with my assistant, hardl
q knowing what to say or do, L was S
II II pleased at my own good fortune:
u u "Well, I thought over the matter a
u day, and by evening I was in Lol
l. Sp1IICS dSold, IOi htu 49, poA
= myself that the whole affair must b
- some great hoax or fraud, tho what il
!, object might be could not imagine.
n seemed altogether past belief that an
n. one could make such will, sor that the
n would pay such a sum for doing an.
ID thing SO simple as copying out the sE1
n, cyclopedia Britannica Vincent Spau
If ding did what he could to cheer me u
Or but by bedtime I had reasoned myse
It, out Of the whole thing. However, j
to the morning I determined to have
Tx look at it anyhow, so I bought penn
oe bottle Of ink and with quill-pen an
OF seven sheets Of foolscap paper, l starte
81 off for Pope's Court.
."Well, to my surprise and deligh
~ everything was as right as possibl
1T The table was set out ready for m
A. A. and Mr. Duncan Ross was there to 8.
W W that [ got fairly to work: He starte
~ me off upon the letter "A, and then j
- - left me; but he would drop in fro
1T time to time to see that all was rig1
ad with me- At 2 'clock he babe n
", good day, complimented me upon ii
Ie amount I had written, and locked Il
SO doorof the office after me- -..
off 2feThis went on day after day, M
in Holmes, and on Saturday the manag
came in and planked down four gold,
as sovereigns for my weeks work. It w
III, the same the next week, and the san
no the week after. Every morning I W
ad there at 10, and every afternoon I lie
"a, at 2. By degrees Mr.. Duncan Ross to,
ed To coming in ONLY once of a mornin