Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-05

job.
"Kind of poor trainin' for it, I'll admit,
saws |. But buck up, Alorty; we'll do our
best"
"Weo" says he, liftin his eyebrows.
"Uh-huh," SAYS |. "Nle and you"
"What it got to do with you? I'd like
to know!" he demands.
"Ive been retained, says |. "Never you
mind how, but I'm here to pass out the
friendly shove, coach you along, see that
you make good"
well, like your nerve!' says he, stop
pin short as we're crossn' Broadway. "A
young mucker like you help me make good!
Say. that's rich, that is! Huh! But why
don't vou' Come ahead with it, now, if
you're such an expert
1t was dare, all right And for minute
there we looked each other over scornful,
until decides that II carry on the friend act
if have to risk gettin' my head punched.
First off. Mortimer" says /, "forgettin'
what a great man YOU are SO long as Fathers
payin the bills, lets figure on just what your
standin' is now. You're bum bond clerk,
on the ragged edge of bein' fired, amt you:'
He winces some at that; but he still has
a comeback. "If it wasn't for that bonchead
Miller. I'd get on he growls
BAH says l. Hes only layin' down
the rules of the game; SO it's up to you to
follow en-.
"But he's unreasonable" whines Morti-
mer. "He snoops around after me, finds
fault with everything do, and fines me for
being a little late mornings"
| takes a long breath and swallows hard.
Next tries to strike the sanity pose, and
then | unreels the copybook dope just like
believed it myself.
"He does, eh?" says |. "Then beat him
to it. Don't be late. Show up at eight
thirty instead of nine. That extra half-hour
amt goin' to kill you. Be the last to quit
too. Play up to Miller. Do things the way
he wants 'ern done, even if you have to do
EN- over a dozen times. And use your
bean"
But it's such petty, Insignificant work, ,
says Mortimer.
"All the worse for you if you can't SWING
it," says |. "See here, now-how are you
goin' to feel afterwards if you've always got
to look back on the fact that you begun by
fallin down on twelve-dollar job?"
Must have got Mortimer in the short ribs,
that last shot; for he walks all the rest of the
way back to the Corrugated without sayin
a word. Then, just as we gets into the ele-
vator, he unloosens.
a don't believe it will do any good to try,
says he; "but I've mind to give it whirl.
7 DIDN'T say SO, but that was the first
thing we'd agreed on that day. So that
night has to send off report which reads
like this:
Mortimer health o. X; disposition ragged;
business prospects punk.
Hoping you are the same. ToRCHY.
It's wonder Mortimer didn't have men
tai Indigestion, with all that load of gilt
edged advice on his mind, and | want
lookin' for him to lug it much further'n the
door; but, if you'll believe me, he seems to
take it serious. Every mornin after that
finds his hat on the hook when | come in,
and whenever l gets glimpse of him durin'
the day he has his coat off and is maxim a
noise like the busy bee. At that it takes
sometime before he makes an impression on
Miller; but finlly Morty comes out to me
with bulletin that seems to tickle him all
over.
what do you know" says he. "When
Miller was looking over some of my work
today he breaks out with, Very good, Up
ton Keep it up"
well, l expect you told him to chase him.
self, eh?" says |.
mo-" says Mortimer. 81 sprung that
new scheme of mine for filing the back rec