New-York tribune., 1909-04-18


love with your work
4 suppose It !, my fault. Shorty" says he. 1t
was the only opening had and vent IN to make
success But | haven't. $40 far. The whole thing.
from punching the time clock when l report. to
standing IN line II the pay window. CRATES on my
nerves "
Oh you'll ge; used 20 all that " says / and the
first thing YOU know you'll De a general manage
yourself, with secret exit ~ The subway and
right 70 check out on me Feto" a"H lII"uhI-
Not while M Prlggle Is there. says he, shuttin
his jaw hard
A Nd iron, then ON 20. bulletins on this Priggle
n party He the boss IF Humphreys depart
rncnt and accoriu 10 the description handed me.
he Il of Burbank product somewhere between
Il fox terrier and a adding machine. sawed Of
little runt. with a seven and = quarter mead and
PA soul and a disposition Ike bantam rooster
He's been IN the Office over twenty years and has
been minute late ~ lett q minute early IN
ali that time He knows all about his department..
from the date Of the first application 70 the average
number Of rubber bands used durln any month III
the year He's as reg lar q tImeball. and about
as human as a Seth Thomas clock As tor hgureS,
he 1uSt EN- alive, and to hear him roaStln one
Of his slaves for maxim a mistake, you'd think the
man had been caught drhn holes IN the safe.
Mavbe YOU can guess then. what happens 70
Humphrey about eleven times a week once when he
oversleeps and shows up half hour late: again
when ne upsets the red ink hle case. and still
some more when he's guilty Of other things that
perfectly good life insurance clerk shouldn't do
Does this Priggle gent give Humphrey the call down
hard and often Yes and then some.
Really r's quite hurniliating Al times says
Humphrey
spoken chaps can be don't have be on the spot
to see how il works out for It easy 20 picture this
Mr. Prigge gettin Of breath and red in the face.
and Humphrey sittln there goln white with his
laws set takin II all without a murmur. oh. he
was game He stood for It because he dldn want
TO make 4 record a quitter.
But there $ need for Prigge 20 nag and bully
me says Humphrey. even # he IS my superior
He's "a contemplate cur. that what he IS,
Maybe should have lust given HIM the laugh ana
told him 10 take the knocks others have to.
but he's such thin skinned, overgrown KID, and
there's such puzzled desperate look IN them serious
eyes of his that | cant help feelin sorry for him
| that what he needs little straight talk, SO
cuts loose with the best got.
SEEMS like something awful to YOU. don't IT..
~ says But listen Humphrey all IN the world
YOU re up against the old out tragedy OF the
hired man. and that's commoner than toothache or
chapped lips Not that deny its a sure enough
tragedy lust the I've been there myself
| know how it feels to have another man shake my
Job at me and hold the blue envelope over my head.
sometimes for better reason than that he d been
out the night before The sensations amt pleasant.
but there amt anything unique about en- They re
new 20 you because you're gettin EN- late; but
YOU re lucky, at that It's only some chesty notion
about wantn to make good that keeps you bumped
over the desk when the boss cracks his whip. How
would it be If YOU had a wife and kids
Humphrey lets out a sigh of relief at that.
Ant says l. a. Get the idea. eh Now about
this Prigge Looks TO you like fend IN human
form don't he But the chances are he's just
big boss growls the little boss, and the little boss
vaps and snarls at them that cant yaP back. It's
business That the way things run. and as
long as you re a hired you We got be ready
head you Il soon get so YOU wont mind any more n
the others do
4 hope 50. says Humphrey.
80 .r h. ,,,.- nth now. cot ~ IDEAS and some