The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1912-04-04
A LEAF OUT
OF LIFE

A business man in Washington re-
Gently enjoyed. a visit from an old cob
lege friend, who passed many hours
in the Office reading and writing let
tiers. The visitors wants were cour-
teously attended to by a bright young
clerk, whose obliging manners and ev-
ident affection for his employer at
tracted. the guests notice. After q
few days the visitor asked his friend
about the young man.
I've been waiting for you to notice
Jack" was the answer to the inquiry.
He's my Man Friday and there
never. was a better one. l want you
to know how l was lucky enough to
find him.
1.-TWO years ago I was owe in West
Virginia, fishing. 1 induced an old
man and his wife, who live near the
trout stream. to take me in for a week.
At first they hesitated; but when l
happened to say something about COM
ing all the a from Washington for
a few days of quiet and rest, they gave
me hearty welcome.
"'You see,' said the old man, our
SON g in Washington, and it makes him
seem kind O. nearer home to have
somebody from the same place here
| with u.s.
"Is he in the government service"
asked, with perfunctory interest.
"'Well, we don't rightly know just
what he is working at, He don't write
quite as often as we'd like, but L.
s'pose he's pretty busy
Here the old wife broke in. But /;
We know he's doing well, and more'na
likely he's working for the govern
ment, because he knows the president
real WELL
"'He does?' l asked, genuinely in
terested.
eyes. just look at that answered.
my hostess, going to the shelf above
the rude fireplace and taking down q
picture postal card which showed a.
fr%ank-faced youth In the act of .shak-
ing hands with the smiling chief ex-
ecutive.
cor l said, as l recognized one Of
those fake photographs which anyone
can have taken on Pennsylvania ave
nue..
"'Our Jack was always a great hand
to get acquainted easy, but mother
and me was some surprised when we
got this picture Of Jack and the presi-
dent. l suppose the president likes
to know some of the rising young fel
lows round in the government, don't
hep
every likely I answered. weakly,
thinking that perhaps l ought to en-.
tighten the dear old innocents. But
I couldn't, and during all of my stay
there the kindly old couple talked to
me about their boy. Their only trouble
seemed to be that he didn't write as
often as he ought. They hadn't heard.
from him since he had sent the postal
card, two months before.
"When I left they begged ne to look
him up, but as they hadn't his address
it was a pretty hopeless task. After /
had consulted the government regis
try and found he was not on the pay
roll ! gave it up.
"Well, one night about six weeks
later. as I was coming through Frank
lin square, l saw a young fellow lying
on n park bench. thought at first
that he was drunk, but 1 soon saw that
he was sick, and l spoke to him.
"Hungry,' he murmured, in answer
to my question. Well, afterward, when
he had had something to eat and 4
little color had come back into his
face, 1t began to come to me that I
had seen him before. There Was
something familiar in his face. =.
Little by Little I got his story. He
had come to Washington hoping to
get a government berth, had failed in
the examination. and had lived, or
rather starved, on such odd jobs as
he could get.
why didn't you write home for
help?" I asked.
"'Oh. the old people have hardly
enough for themselves, and, besides,
they're terribly proud to think I'm
down here with the president He
laughed feebly.
Jack Stabler!" l exclaimed.
'"'That's my NAME" he answered
How did you know"
Il told him part of the stsry, and
the next day he went to work in my
office. I don't know how ! should get
along without him now"
That's just like you" said the v,s-
itor heartily, grasping his old college
friends hand. mo wonder the boy
loves you"
"The joke of it is." said his friend,
that Jack went to the White House
with me a little while g and made
that pic~ture-postal card true by shak.
Ing hands with the PRESIDENT
Youths Companion.