The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-10-03

l2ob Corporation Street. where the
temporary Offices Of the comp are
situated OF course he must confirm
your engagement. tut tive our
selves il will be all right"
Really. / hardly know how 10 ex-
press my gratitude. Mr.. Primer"
said I.
Not at all. my boy. You have only
! got our deserts. There are one or
two small things-mere f~ormaliues-
which must arrange with you You
have a bit of paper beside YOU there.
Kindly write upon it Il am perfectly
willing to act as business manager
to the Midland Hardware
Company. Limited. at a minimum sal
airy of $500"
| did as he asked, and he put the
p in his pocket
There is one other detail" said he.
What do you intend IN do about
Mawson's
1 had forgotten all about Mawson's
In my JOY. "IIl write and resign"
said l.
Precisely what I don't want you to
DO. l had a row over You with Nav
son S l had gone up to ask
him about you. and he was very Of
fensive; accused me of coaxing YOU
away from the service OF the firm. and
that sort of thing. At last fairly
lost my temper. If you want good
men You should pay them a good
price sale L.
price than your big one said he.
III lay you a fver.' said /. that
when he has my offer you'll never so
much as hear from him again
Done said he. We picked him
out of the gutter. and he won't leave
words
The impudent scoundrel," 1 cried.
I've never SO much as seen him In
+ y life Why should l consider him
In any way? l shall certainly not
write if you would rather didn't"
Good That's a promise said he.
rising from his chair, Wen. I'm de
i lighted to have got so good a man
for my brother. Here's your advance
OF a hundre pounds, and here is the
letter. Make q note of the address.
126b Corporation Street. and remem-
Der that one O'Clock tomorrow is your
appointment. Goodnight; and nay
you nave all the fortune that you de-
Serve.'
That's just about all hat passed be-
tween us, as near as | can renem-
Der. You can imagine, DR.. Watson.
how pleased | was at such an ex-
traordinary bit of g~ood-fortune. | sat
up half the night hugging myself
over it. and next day I was off 70
birmingham in a train that would
tdke me III pleIty llIne Tor my dp-
pointment- I took my things to a
hotel in New Street. and then I made
my way to the address which had
been given me.
1t was a quartz of an hour be-
fore my time, but / thought that would
make 40 difference. 136b was a pas
sage between two largo shops. which
led to a windin~ stone stair. from
which there We're many fats let as
Offices to companies or professional
men. The names of the
were painted at the bottom on the
wall, but there was no such name as
the Franco-Midland Hardware Com
pany, Limited. / stood for a few
minute With my heart in my boots.
wondering whether the whole thing
was an elaborate hoax or not. Whel.
up came a man and addressed me
He was very like the chap / had seen
the night before, the same figure and
voice. but he was clean-shaven and his
hair was lighter.
Are you Mr.. Hsll Pycroft?" he
asked.
Yes" said T..
"Oh. I was expecting you. but you
are & trife before your time. / had
a note from my brother this morning
in which he sang your praises very
loudly"
I was just locking for the Offices
when you came
I'VE nave not got our n2Ine UP yet,
for we only secured these tenn porary
prem ises last week. Come up with me,
and W. will talk the matter over"
] followed him to the top OF a very
lofty stair. and there, right under the
states, were a couple of empty. dusty
little rooms, uncarpeted and unCur-
tanned. into which he led me- | had
though OF a great office with shining
tables and rows OF clerks. such as /
was used to, and I dare say / started
rather straight at the two deal chairs
and one little table, which, with a
ledger and a waSte-paper basket.
made up the whole furniture.
Don't be disheaFtened, Mr.. Py-
croft" said my new acquaintance. see
ing the length of my face. Rome
was not built in a day. and We have
lots Of money at our backs, though
we don't cut much dash yet in Of