Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-25

knife His gaze seemed to be directed to the lower but
tons OF his head clerks wastcoat. Interference? he
repeated Interference Mr. Grurnp, you have rep
utation for hunor, fancy. I've been listening to
you trying bedev that out there but I'm afraid
your humor little the sapstick order. And
club you instead of the point of rapler don't
take it amiss
The superintendent raised his head Their eyes met.
The head clerk Strengthened from shoulder to heel.
"Here is not a request from me, but order Sign
that mani
Eyes, Sir.
@And, Mr.. Grump, why did you ask all those ques-
tons of you had no notion of shpping?
"Whv Sir, meant no harm by that Sir. All kinds
here looking for berths ships and some of
them rather queer Ones you know, Sir and we like
to have a little fun with Them
"Have fun with that man? | wish had your intel
lectual nerve
@You know him, Sir? If had known
II know nothing of him. | him and listened to
him, as you did. But let tell you something Mr..
Grump. You're paid six thousand dollars year here,
and presumably YOU know your business | get twenty
thousand dollars Presumably too know my business.
But when you or reach stage where can have fun
with that out there, then you and won't have to
rest content with relatively subordinate and unim
portant positions head clerk and superintendent of
the marine department of the Northern & Southern
Oil Company
Subordinate positions, Sir' The head clerk was
staring.
"Yes, Sir"
"Why is it that good men don't to stay long on
some of our ships especially on the Rapidan?'
Il couldn't say, Sir.
mo? Well, possibly | can find out. I'll take pas
age on the Rapidan this trip But say nothing about
it to anybody mind If the Captain wishes to know
something of his passenger say that it friend
of the third fourth president, of of the
directors, of the Office boy, the stenographer
oh, anybody at al,-taking a little trip for his
hot ApI
his NAME he picked up the telephone directory in
serted the blade of the paper knife opened the book
and laid the knife across the page, "Noyes. Noyes
sounds all right. Tell him Mr.. Noyes. And that's all
for now, except that you sign that man."
"Yes, Sir" The reorganized head clerk clicked his
heels marched to his desk and without delay signed
John Herman purnpman for the gulf voyage of the
oilship Rapidan.
TT lacked minutes sailing time and the passen-
ger in the cabin messroom, when he heard the
exclamation, "Here he comes now!'
He looked through the air port. Out the deck
huge fellow gazing up the dock. The passenger,
who knew the big for the bosn, gazed up the dock
also, and that it the pumpman coming; and
he was singing cheerily as he came:
Our ship she laborn' in the Gulf O Mexico
The skipper the quarter
Usually it is only the drunks who come the side
of an oil tanker singing; but this drunk. DRINKS
generally make of all the aids to navigation when
they board ship Above all, they do not ignore the
gangplank. But this lad wasn't going hundred feet
out of his way for any gangpank He hove his suit
case aboard, made a onehanded vault from dock to
deck land from stringpiece to rail high his
shoulder and when he landed deck was like cat
its toes and like cat he off and away, suitcase
in hand, while those of the who had only him
land still wondering where he had dropped FROM
The big man plainly did not like the style of him at ALL
3Here you'll" he beloved "Who the blank your
And the newcomer ripped out, "And who the blank