The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-02-08
WEEKLY SHORT STORY
COOPERATIVE SHORT STORY
WISDOR OF FOOLS.
By James William Jackson


The chief clerk was about TO take
ais tenth annual vacation. In ten
years he had risen from Office boy,
eliminated the last bit of hayseed from
his hair and discarded jean trousers.
Il suppose. Marshall" the Junior
member laughed. 1T will be two weeks
Tor you OF making daisy chains Win
the Hilkmajd back home, eh?"
Not in August" Marshall gently
deprecated, wondering whether his
chief ha4 any idea of the proper
month lOr. picking daisies
NSoT' the tirm member obtusely
missed the point Maid have her
vacation then? Should think the COWS
would have TO be MIXED just the
same"
Marshall had spent nine of his va
cations satisfactorily back III Green
vile. This year he had plans for
bit OF fashionable seashore life, au-
tomobiling, gay frieRds. Colonel Hans
CONS daughter. q dashing lady, had
helped TO persuade him.
He was hardly comfortable in the
decision, however. His mother would
be disappointed.
Saving his conscience he nervous
ly up-tapped his pencil and preached
the business which had brought him
TO the Office. Stealing had been going
on among the clerks somewhere;
Marshall had his definite suspicious
and now outlined a plan OF having
the cashier at the bank accidentally"
put an extra fifty dollar bin in the
package of payday money for a trap.
On the way out Of the office he met
Thompson, the suspected clerk.
Good morning, Mr.. Marshall" the
boy greeted. n suppose this time
Friday you'll be gee-hawing the cows
out 20 pasture"
} Marshall nodded good naturedly.
His eyes narrowed ominously and he
shook his head regretfuly. Thomp-
son was late. There was no doubt
that he lived an unhealthful life and
was getting morally twisted.
When The money arrived and while
Thompson attended his customary
duty of Milling the pay envelopes Mar
shall dreamily fancied himself on his
vacation. Miss Hanscom was I'M
doubtedly interested in him. She was
he open sesame TO a coterie of we'll
o-do and lively friends. And Mar
lhall was prospecting. He had some
money saved. A partnership was
looming up.
4 Miss Hooper booked up from her
typevrtting 20 remind of the Green
Vile on which he was turning his
back. Il hope you'll think out some
way of raising our salaries while you
pick cherries this vacation, Mr.. Mar
shall"
Marshall bowed with passing won
der that she didn't know cherries were
over by August Then Thompson
came TO his desk and reported that
there was $50 too much in the money
package. The ruse had failed; the
matter was pigeon-holed until after
Marshall should return.
While Earshalls thought again
q. fluttered truantly from business to
sandy beaches and pleasure, touching
Tightly en- route at Greenville, unin-
vited CONS PARSONS ranged themselves
Bashful ZEN years ago, he was now
selt-possessed and somewhat polished
Broadway now was more natural-he
thought-than fields, whispering trees
and country things that peep at night
Ten years ago Mary GarVis, with
plain face, big mouth and kitchen lore
had been to him an epitome OF woman
" charm But times were different;
and so was Miss Hanscom. There
is a difference between a diamond cut
and uncut.
His fmagtnings had extended from
the Office to the dinner table, where
4 he was reused from reverie. "Son.
|1reckon we'll ple-Ough the se-outt