Evening star., 1914-11-22

| for his own big hills, trees, and mountain air.
He looked down from his window at the
crowds in the street. They did not look like
the human beings he had known all his life:
they were clothed differently, they were in
perpetual rush. Honest Joe wondered if he
had not better buy new clothing, and then
snorted at himself and spoke aloud:
| you'll buy nothin'! Spend money you
borrowed on fancy duds! What's the mat
ter with you9 Ashamed to be seen in your
old white hat and with your pants tucked IN
your boots, when Maw's waitin' for you, in
her gingham, away off out there"
His voice broke and he gulped heavily;
then, determined, he clapped the old hat with
the four dents on his head, walked down the
five flights of stairs, and confronted the clerk
behind the desk.
"Can you tell me where I'll find Toluse
Oakes; that is, Thomas Naples Oakes3" he
asked.
The clerk looked somewhat puzzled. 1t
seemed impossible that this "old jay" could
mean that he wanted to see the famous fin
ancier @What is he, a banker, corporation
MANI"
Il reckon that must be him." assented
Honest Joe.
The clerk consulted a telephone book. "If
! it's the one YOU mean, he said, smiling to HIM
self, @there is such man at No. A Wall street.
| At the dubious look on his guests face he
suggested not unkindly, ats long walk
for a young man, let alone an Maybe
you'd best take taxi.
| Nope answered the Westerner. walk
in'1l do. l can't spare the money for any
fool rides lust tell me how to get there, and
I'll find it"
In hours, after being jostled, and showed,
and lost, and asking many times for direc-
tions, he came to the huge skyscraper in the
narrow street, and, somewhat afraid of the
elevators, climbed twenty fights of painful
stairs. which robbed him of breath at inter-
walls and necessitated rests on landings. He
gave troubled sigh when he saw that nearly
all the doors bore the name of his friend, and
at last in desperation tried one. He was sent
to another, and there found himself con-
fronted by smart young man who shifted
at him superciliously and asked to know his
business. He started quite guilelessly to tell
what had brought him there; but the i'm
portant youth impolitely interrupted him in
the midst of a sentence and disappeared
through a door while. some of those in the
waiting room snickered audibly. In but
minute very busy appearing clerk came
out and said curtly:
"Mr Thomas Oakes is not here; but per-
haps you could explain your business to me
and save time"
Something IN the clerk impatient attl-
tude warned Honest Joe that to talk would
be to find dismissal, and for an instant he
was perplexed. mo, young man, you won't
do at ALL" he said. "Nobody1l do but Mr..
Oakes. It's him come to see. He's an old
friend of mine, and
He was surprised and angry when the
young man shrugged and deliberately walked
away He could not know that there were
scores of applicants each day, impecunious,
who made Similar and unfounded pretexts
for gaining the great fnancier's ear. An
other clerk came after time, a most naughty
young person, who wanted to know what he
was waiting for, asked if he had an appoint
ment, and when told that he had not said
he must get one, but did not explain how.
Noon came, and for time Honest Joe had
the reception room to himself. Afternoon
crept around, and new faces appeared and
disappeared. The sun worked westward,
and still he sat, until he was the last one
waiting, still patient, but very distressed.
Office boys grinned at him, clerks passing
through the room stared and smiled, and at
last the first smart youth he had met got his
hat from a wardrobe and said cheerily:
@Well, Mister, I'm afraid you'll have to
get out We're done for the day."
aBut about seein' Toluse-I mean Mr..
Oakes9" protested Honest Joe, palpably dis
aDDOinted