Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-11-07
John Smith,
Clerk.
BY Frank H. >ssOeef.
Copyright. 1907. by Frank H. Sweet.

~ NOE there was a man. He was
q clerk in a bank at $45 a
~ month. His name was John
Smith. At a directors meet.
Ing one day after the discounts had
been passed upon and the portly direct
ors were laboriously getting up to go
the president, who had the ablest and
most expansive vest of any of them,
stopped them. by the way" he re-
marked, 81 have a note from John
Smith-one of our young men, you
know; some Of you know him-but /
guess 1 have lost it. Anyhow, he
wants his salary raised. Says the bust
ness Of the bank is four times what
Is used to be and his work has in
creased accordingly. Says with in
crease in the amount of money han
died comes increase in the strain on
his integrity. Seems to think he ought
to be paid for not robbing us. Besides.
he says he can scarcely keep his fam
lily on his salary. I suppose I can an
swer it without calling another board
meeting" he concluded facetiously.
"Tell him he oughtn't to have such a
big family" suggested one "Quote the
law against e-mbezzlement to him."
said another. and sc OIL, as they but
toned their overcoats and went out
about their businesses.
By and by John Smith got a note
like this, signed by the president and
written on the note paper Of the bank,
bearing the imposing array of direct
ors' names in neat engraving at the
head of it:
Mr.. John Smith:
Dear Sir-1n answer to yours of even
date I am instructed by the board Of di-
rectors to say hat they cannot agree with
your view of the case. 1t is true that
your work has largely increased with the
growth of the bank under its present sue
cessful management, but it is no more
than you are able to do and no more thar
we can find others to do for the salary
we now pay you. The other phase of the
matter you present-that we should pay
you for the moral wear and tear incident
to resisting temptation to steal as we'll as
for the physical and mental work you do
has no weight.
Our relations, however pleasant person
ally, are purely a business affair on both
sides. We pay you so much money for so
much work. Your honesty is presumed.
If o should prove dishonest, we would
discharge you and the law would send
you to prison.
With your family affairs we lave moth
ing to do. but I may suggest to you that
careful economy in small household ex-
p~enditures will result in an annual saving
which will perhaps surprise you.
Without referring especially to you-for
l never e~ndeavored to pry into your pri-
vate affairs nor inquired how you lived
I may say that, in my opinion, the pre-
vailing tendency of young people now
adays is to live too high instead OF being
careful to lay up something for a rainy
day. Yours truly, etc.
The directors hadn't been in session
long the next day when John Smith
opened the door, handed in a slip of
paper and walked back to his desk.
There was silence for a minute, then a
murmur; then the clerks outside heard
a clatter of moving chairs in the board
room, and then the door opened and
two or three voices called "Smith!!"
"In a moment" answered Smith,
cheerfully laying a blotter between the
leaves of the book he had been writing
in and carefully tucking the pen be-
hind his ear as though he were making
his toilet.
"What do you mean by this" they
| demanded when he appeared in the di-