The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-09-15

armed with his board of health GER
tificate. He was strong IN the brazen,
necessary assertion that, appearances
notwithstanding, he was lover four
teen" He was hampered by no lack of
sophistication, and looking for job
had wrought within his bosom no new
emotions. Yet, for all that, drawn
thither by the magnetic boy Want
ed" his initial entrance to the ship
ping office was timid and apologize.
He encountered the head Office boy,
some few minutes returned from his
daily pilgrimage to the New York Of
fce-an important person of parts,
who. from the dignity of all. white col
lar and glaring red necktie, grinned
contemptuously at him. He himself
grinned back utter depreciation, and
spoke it. a queer. shrin, little voice.
The head office boy snickered in SUI
perior way and jerked a thumb toward
teh assistant shipping clerk.
Following this dignitary, Matthew
entered the superintendent office, and
the assistant stepped aside to reveal
him, with boy looking for the job.
sir" and waited for anything facetious
which Hanford might care TO say.
Hanford cared. to say nothing face
tious, as it appeared rather astOnish-
ingly after thirty seconds. Indeed, he
neglected even 10 Si11ll6t winch was
rather disConceTting.
What was his name? Matty Schweitz
yes sir Matthew. How old? Four
teen last June. Fourteen? Yes sir,
fourteen last June-seventh o. June.
Why wasn't he in school? Matty
took this as a bright jest and grinned
appreciatively as he made reply. Got
ter eat! Ever worked before? Sure
yes sir. A year in a china factory, an
six mont's with grocer. carrying out
orders. And he was only fourteen
now? Well-yes sir.
Were his parents alive? Yes sir
Working? Yes sir. Ma took in wash
ing. Father? Stepfather sir. Well
what did he do? Drank. That last
statement of occupation, Matty ap-
peared to think, explained the whole
conventional situatiOn-and for Han
ford 1t did. He rubbed slowly on his
glasses and mentally revOlved Matty.
The boy he needed should have been
bigger and older and stronger: but he
looked again at this one asking work
because he had TO eat, noted the wei
sOaped hair, the clean, thin cheeks, the
roughened hands with the rec
knuckles, the threadbare suit, the fair
~ pTesentable shirt, the pipestem legs
in the darned stockings, the grotesque-
ly immense shoes. HanfoTd professed
a heart and conscience, which are al
times inconvenient things; and wher
he was done with the inspection he
snapped his glasses into the case witt
a certain air of finality.
What wages have you been get.
ting?"
'Two'n a quarter at the chiny fac.
tory
And at the-other place."
"Platz' s-de grocery DoIlar'n
haf"
''One dollar and a half a week."
Yes sir. Well" Matty grinneC
obviously Il guess the grub wa.
s'posed t count fer somethin'."
"Oh. you lived with them"
Nos sir. on'y L eat meals. They
wasn't much" he supplemented. Most
" melted grease an cabbage an then
gluey dumping 's-Dutch stuff like
that"
"Um. Would you like to come her,
at three dollars a week."
Would I? Say, you gimme d,
show he pulled UP sharply. Ye!
sir"
Hanford turned back to his work anC
picked up his pen. Very we'll they
would try him. George could give hin
a time card and put him to work.
Thus. athrill with something as neai
prematuTely aged self, Matty was lee
out of the presence and installed a.
junior general utility boy of the Burn
side Chemical works.
Perhaps by contrast with the day!
of the china factory and the grocery
Matthew seemed to regard his lot a.
happy rather than otherwise. He real
lied. too, that a large concession hat
been made in engaging him-he real
lied 1T fully after certain days o
sweeping and bottle Juggling tina
would have set the muscles of a large
boy to aching. He appreciated tina
Hanford had employed him mainly be
cause he had to work to eat: and as h.
Informed the superintendent rather ir
relevantly one day while passin,
through the nitric acid shop. he in
tended to make good"
HanfoTd had fully intended to keel
track of the boy, but there were othe
matters innumerable to absorb him
and some two months had passed be
fore chance came for the briefes
study That opportunity was not al
together a happy one, for as Matt
stood waiting to take a note to tn
manager in another building, Hanford
staring at him thoughtfuIly, suddenI,
forgot his meditations for a more con
crete proposition,
Have you been hghting7~
Matthew started.
NO sir"
Where did you get that lump owe
!. your eyer"
Matthew grinned. shifted. and locke
at the floor.
PA"
Hanford's brow contracted in
scow1.
Do you mean TO say that your step
father struck you hard enough to max
that swelling?"
Well-no, sir. He didn't soak me-
anyway, it wasn't me he wanted {
soak. Heh see" Matty looked up sud
denly, with an animated smile, we
see, mas always calm him dow
when he gets fun, an he always ge
red hot then. an says he's goin' L XII
himself II she don't shut up. An