Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-05-30
Me
Thirteenth
Floor
A Case Where the Number Thirtssn
Makes Good Its Reputation
By CLARISSA MACKIE
Copyright by American Press Asso-

/
stout stenographer sighed relievedly
and drew q magazine from her desk.
II thought he'd never CO." she said.
The dapper bookkeeper took silver
quarter from his pocket and dipped 1t
toward the office boy. Peanuts" he
said succinctly as he spread the morn
ing paper over his ledger and turned
to the market report.
81 saw Homer beatin' It for the fer.
ry," remarked Jimmy when he return.
ed with the peanuts and they had
been divided into three portions. Il
guess he's good for the day"
$50 he said" agreed the bookkeeper.
cracking shells and tossing them over
his shoulder into the waste paper bas.
ket with admirable dexterity. IF you
want the afternoon of. Miss Porter,
you can have It," he said. with
smile.
The stenographer smiled lazily as
she reached for another peanut This
suits me-" she murmured. turning the
pages or her magazine.
Suddenly the outer door opened and
precipitated confusion upon the trio.
A tall man. middle aged. with a
strong, clean cut face and piercing
dark eyes glanced from one to the
other.
"Mr. Dickson inY' he asked sharply.
"Out." said the bookkeeper curtly.
thrusting the newspaper into draw
er and dipping pen into the Ink well.
"When will he return?" asked the
stranger quietly.
"He didn't say. think he's gone
for the day." replied the clerk ungra'
ciously as he bent above his ledger.
"IIl wait awhile" remarked the Wis
itor. seating himself In chair and
opening a notebook.
Bray, the bookkeeper, shrugged his
narrow shoulders and applied himself
to his neglected work. Miss Porter
laid aside her magazine and thumped
noisily upon the typewriter, while
Jimmy swept up the accumulation OF
peanut shells and filed letters with
brisk attention.
The stranger sat absorbed In his note
book. making calculations with stub
by lead pencil.
"Nice weather for crops" remarked
Bray, with slight wink toward the
stenographer.
/ la1 har An
dour and giggled
I'VE got our hay all in" said Jimmy
nasally. rs he scuttled past the stran'
ger on business intent.
"You re'cllect our old black henT
went on Bray facetiously. "Waal. by
gum. she laid a egg yesterday most as
big as a grapefruit. l reckon on send
ing 1t to the county fair"
"Did Mr. Dickson mention having
an appointment with Mr.. Penworth
this morning?" asked the rustic.
A leaden silence settled on the office.
Bray broke 1t at last.
"Penworth!' he gasped. with sick
ly smile. u. Augustus Penworth"
The stranger nodded impatiently and
glanced at his watch. "Did Mr. Dick
son mention having an engagement
with me"
"No, sir" returned the bookkeeper
respectfully ~ think be must be de-
tanned somewhere I'll try to trace
him by phone. Jimmy. give Mr.. Pen
worth a seat in Mr.. Dickson's office"
Bray disappeared within the telephone
booth with agitated countenance.
"Tell that idiot to keep away from
the telephone. I'll wait till Mr.. Dick
son comes in." growled the visitor so
savagely that Jimmy skipped to obey.
The brutal message. conveyed verba-
tim, Mr.. Bray emerged from the booth
with very red face and returned to
his ledger, while Mr.. Penworth ac-
cepted a comfortable Turkish rocker
In the private office and lighted long
black cigar
AZ. Augustus Penworth. Multimil-
lionaire and King Of Finance" So the
special article in Bray's Sunday news
paper had capitalized him. His name
was as well known as that Of the pres
ident Of the republic. and the entire
office force had laughed openly at him.
Bray writhed on his high stool rs he
looked at the back Of the millionaire's
gray head. and he cursed his own bad
manners In ridiculing the stranger.
Bray was ambitious. and Penworth
was known to be especially interested
in young men and II he knew them to
be capable and willing to work could
always find places for them in his nu-
merous Industrial plants. The book.
keeper had read the article in the Sun
day paper. and his imagination had
been fred with the possibilities that
would open out II he should ever cross
the path Of the great man.
Here he was-J. Augustus Penworth.
and Bray had ridiculed him! 1t was
too much to bear calmly. yet the book
keeper solaced himself with the
thought that perhaps the millionaire
had been too much absorbed in his
notebook to heed the idle chattering
of the office force. Bray's usual alert
manner and his courteous. almost
servile demeanor toward bis employ.
ers customers would ordinarily at.
tract the attention Of business man.
He welcomed a sudden acceleration
Of business now. He transacted trivial
matters with a crispness and courtesy
that made Miss Porter and Jimmy
open their innocent eyes He darted
from telephone to ledger and from
ledger to vault and spoke with an air
Of authority. Altogether be showed
himself to be a man Of considerable
affairs. All the time be was pleasant
ly aware that the great financier had
wheeled his chair about and was
watching with curious intentnesA
After awhile when business had
quieted down the 6nancier beckcned
the bookkeeper into the private Office,
and as the gratifed Bray paused be-
fore him Penworth asked:
"How long have you been with Mr..
DicksonY'
"Ten years." stammered Bray ex.
citedly.
"And suppose you are satisfied
with your position%
"Well-not exactly. sir. You see.
there Is no chance for advancement"
"H'm-I can imagine not-here"