The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1911-06-09
Ole
Thirteenth
Floor
A Case Where the Number Thirteen
Makes Good Its Reputation
By CLARISSA MACKIE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

As the office door closed behind the
retreating form of Homer Dickson the
stout stenographer sighed relievedly
and drew magazine from her desk.
81 thought he'd never CO." she said.
The dapper bookkeeper took a silver
quarter from his pocket and tipped 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' 1t for the fer
ry," remarked Jimmy when he return
ed with the peanuts and they had
been divided into three portions. 81
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 Off, Miss Porter.
you can have It," he said, with q
smile.
The stenographer smiled lazily as
she reached for another peanut. "rhis
suits me-" she murmured. turning the
pages of 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 in?" he asked sharply.
"Out," said the bookkeeper CURLY,
thrusting the newspaper into a draw
er and dipping pen into the ink well.
"When will he return?" asked the
stranger quietly.
"He didn't say. I think he's gone
for the day." replied the clerk ungra-
ciously as he bent above his ledger.
an 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.
Mice weather for crops" remarked
Bray, with slight wink toward the
stenographer.
Miss Porter ruflied her flaxen pompa-
dour and glggled.
1--WE got our hay all In" said Jimmy
nasally, rs he scuttled past the stran-
ger on business intent.
"You re'cllect our old black hemp
went on Bray facetiously. "Waal. by
gum. she laid a egg yesterday most as
big rs grapefruit. l reckon on send
ing 1t to the county fair"
did Mr.. Dickson mention having
an appointment with Mr.. Penworth
this morning2" asked the rustic.
A leaden silence settled on the office
Bray broke 1t ut last.
"Penworthv' he gasped, with a sick
ly smile. u. Augustus Penworthr'
The stranger nodded impatiently ant
glanced at his watch. Ibid Mr.. Dick
son mention having an engagement
with me2
mo, SIR" returned the bookkeepel
respectfully. II think he must be de
tanned somewhere. I'll try TO trace
him by phone. Jimmy, give Mr.. Pen
worth 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 TIL 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 comfortable Turkish rocker
I'm the private office and lighted a long
black cigar.
~ Augustus Penworth, Multimil-
lionaire and King of Finance" So the
special article In Brays 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 Mt him.
Bray writhed on his high stool as he
looked ut the back of the millionaire's
gray head, and he cursed his own bad
manners in rldiculing the stranger.
Bray was ambitious. and Penworth
was known to be especially interested
in young men and If he knew them to
no caDable 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 fired 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 himl 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 his employ
er's customers would ordinarily at
tract the attention OF business man.
He welcomed sudden acceleratton
Of business now. He transacted trivial
matters with n crispness and courtesy
that made Miss Porter and Jimmy
open their innocent eyes. He darted
from telephone TO ledger and from