The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-10-28
TheNew Boy S
Imitation

wag. Secondariiy. he was very eX-
cellent steIographcr, although in his
speech there sometimes lurked plu-
rality of negatives in one sentence,
while moods, lenses and such like
trifies were more or less ignored.
However. this lent ricturesqueness TO
a character really lovable and certain
ly funloving
In the course of events a new Office
boy was taken OF. Alas, poor urchin,
Nothing so exciting had transpired at
Dope & Co.'S in, To- these many years,
Not, in fact, since one of the ancient
clerks in the bookkeeping department
had taken unto himself an actual wife.
who now kept him as busy hustling
as she had been wont to keep the
telephone switchboard in her pre-
matrimonial days.
And so Lawrence appeared on Mon
/ day morning to be the new Office boy.
| his guleless countenance freshly
soaped by mother and his poor little
hair wetted and brushed within an
inch Of its life. 1t really was shame.
and the details are too narrowing to
be chroniced But. be it said. lest the
tender-hearted weep in vain, that he
lived bravely through his initiation by
the three veteran Office boys, having
been discovered in the storeroom
punching the largest of the trio
valiantly in the spot where he had
just slowed two sandwiches. This
won him Immediately place among
the elect.
But there was still McNulty. Nc
NHlty declared that the recruit had
no business to be named Lawrence.
An Office boy ought to be Bill or Jim
or Mike, but, anyhow, he would give
him one chance to run an errand and
see If there was anything in him.
McNulty's typewriter desk had been
out of order for "a week. 1t couldn't
be made to open when it was shut
and if you ever got it open you could
never shut it again. Now, the Blank
building is rambling old place, in
whose lofty, well-kept corridors there
is usually to be found cheerful Hi
bernian with rag busting up and
polishing things. Hence. when Nc
Nulty summoned the recruit and
pointed to his broken desk with q
casual, "G'wan down and tell Pau
Morton to come up here and fix this
desk right away. I'm tired of havin
it on the bum," the urchin obediently
hustled out into the hall to see If he
could find blue jumpercd servitor an
swering to the name of Paul.
There was none on that floor, sc
Lawrence skipped into the elevator
going down."
well, kid" said Pleasant Pat. the
runner, you're a new wan here, hey
Where We goin'?"
I'm looliin fer Paul Morton-knov
where he is?'
'Gorrah. ye're fresh little mug
ye are, Just for that III put you of
at the second-that's Paul Morton!
floor-and ye can walk up. or down
or wherever ye're goin'" And Pa
suited the action to the words will
muscular slam of the gate.
But Lawrence, being dead in earn
est, and not seeing any blue jumper.
on this floor either, was beginning I,
feel discouraged when he caught sigh
of a large person upholstered in -;
beautiful uniform who looked as If h,
ought to know where everybody was
Have you seen Paul Morton
around this floor lately?" began Law
renee, insinuatingly. I'm trying tt
find i'm"
The Large Persons eyes remained
stonily fixed upon the region of Law
rences cowlick
Sure. Him and me was just stand
in here minute ago talkin' to Teddy
Roosevelt and John ID. Rockefeller
Was they cxpectn' you?"
Jaw, quit yer kiddin'. I'm in 9
hurry. If you see him, send him up
stairs to Room Umpty-two. They want
him to fix desk up there-McNulty's
desk-its been busted for "a week and
they want him quick, see?"
-" , q