The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-11-13
GETTING USED TO HIM
ANONYMOUS.

turned out such a bad job of it. Now,
! there was Blodgett, for instance.
Blodgett," continued the self-made
man, was a clerk in my office-a
/ young fellow of about nineteen when
he first went to work for me. / took
/ a dislike to that boy just as soon as
saw him. He was so aggravatingly
/ cock-sure and self-possessed and so in
fallibly in the right. | don't know
why | hired him, except that he had
unimpeachable recommendations and
answered all the questions | put to
him with great intelligence-som
thing of that's easy air. He wrote
good hand, had fair knowledge of
bookkeeping and expressed his salts
faction with the small salary offered
him to choke him off. So I took him.
sent out column of estimates
for him to copy the second morning.
Five minutes later he was standing by
my desk with the sheet in his hand.
What is it now? l snapped.
These estimates, sir, he began.
Copy en- said. Put the figures
down in black and white on another
sheet of paper-thats what copy"
means. Do you think you can dc
that?"
Yes, sir said BIodgett.
Well, do it, them said That's
ALL
1T was a good two-hours' job, but
he finished it in an hour and a half
very neatly, too. When he laid it on
my desk he remarked that there were
two errors in the basic figures that he
thought it better to call my attention
to, as they falsified the entire business.
He was everlastingly doing some
thing like that. l sat for a year, as it
were, with my finger on the buzzer,
waiting for a good chance to fire him.
but he never gave me the least ex-
cuse. As 2 matter Of self-respect, |
had to raise his salary twice.
We'll, it happened one day that
missed some small change that | re-
membered to haVe laid sn my desk.
Later I lost some more. Suspecting
principally the scrub women, waited
till week after the last theft and
then laid my trap.
Il worked a little late that even
ing. l had not meant to, but l had a
big contract on hand and it was
matter that nobody could attend to
but l, so / stayed on after the office |
force had dispersed for the suburbs. |
| was busy for very nearly an hour !
and then had to wait for a telephone |
call. While l was waiting | remem- /
.bered that had not attended to my
detective work, and | l6oked in my |
pocke5boOk for a bill. The smallest l !
had was ten. l took that, marked /
il with red ink in one corner and laid /
c on the desk. Just then the tele-
phone bell rang in the outer office. /
left my room and entered the booth,
closing the door behind me from habit.
4 had got through with my man
and was just hanging up the receiver
when heard { quick step in the cor
ridOr and Blodgett came in. He
looked around quickly and then
walked out of my range of Wis
ion, and in a moment or two
heard him so into my room. To say
| was surprised is putting it mildly,
but even then it never entered my
head that he could be connected with
anything like petty theft. He was
leaving the Office before |
recovered myself sufficiently to open
the door Of the telephone booth and
call to him.
He was certainly surprised, but
his nerve was good and he looked me ;
N the eye as straight as he always
lid. I remembered that the mails
went out tonight for South America.
ne said in response to my look. so |
came back to see if the Perez mani
.ests weren't ready to inclose. Bur- ]
on had finished them and ] put them
n the letter you gave me to send.
By the way took the liberty OF going
o your desk for stamps. I noticed it
7as open, and l supposed you intend
d to return so | didn't shut it, /
Come into my room with me for ;
minute. l said shortly. And when l !
lad got him inside I said: Sit down ;
The ten-dollar bill was gone.
My first feeling was one of tri-
mph. l had got him at last. l had
roved how unerring had been my in
tinct of dislike. I
Il felt almost remorseful when | ,
bought of the inevitable result of my
enunciation.
Then / realized that my old dislike
f the fellow was probably influencing
re more than any feeling of obliga-
ion to society. l remembered that I
e had a mother. c
Il must have sat there for ten min D
ties considering and all that time he Fl
at, cool and silent Suddenly l made =
p my mind.
" Blodgett,' l said, did you see any
ling of a $40 bill on this desk when
Oh were looking for stamps?' | fixed 3
i'm with steady eye. il
Yes, sir, he answered, serenely.
,oun see it tucked in the pigeonhole a
here to your right 1t struck me-if
QUILL excuse me. sir-as rather a =
ireless way to be leaving money Il
round v