The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-11-19
rMAN'S CHANCE
Business Fiction Story That Tells How Executive
|oFked Ont Solution to Big Problem-A Problem
That Almost Every Man Sooner or Later Faces.

advertisement. His various task .
meant a continuous shift in his
thoughts
"Old Joe doesn't know this bust
moss he muttered. Hes full OF
metropolitan notions. It's one thing
to be advertising man for a big city
concern with millions Behind 1t. and
another to be IA OK Of ll-trades for the
Old Emporium"
The errand boy interrupted him
Wiley wants you to help wait on
the people in the mems furnishing.
he shrilled He says to hustle.
Mantony straightene3 himself sud
denly.
You tell wiley he commenced,
in a tone deep. deliberate ana brimful
Of revolt
The boys astoni.hed stare brought
him quickly back to earth
"All right" he acquiesced, submits
sively I'm, done here, anyway
That night. the only soul at work IN
the big building, he sweloered for
hours in the little den upstairs. Chal-
crafts advice. crowding in between the
lines Of hts advertising copy. stirred
him to FESTIVE. angry thought. HeDtried
to brush aside these rebellious Ideas
they impeded his work, which pro-
crossed slowly at best.
AT length. in fashion, the task was
finished. In the sf1adowy. dingy place,
Mantony. with his head bowed on the
desk, saw the daily grind more vivldly
than in the rush of bright noon day:
the continual temporizins. the submits
sion to each new demand. the smoth-
cring OF new ideas; the abandonment
Of hopeful plans for lack of opportu-
nifty 10 work them out: the invaTianle
doing as he would be---hut never was
done by Others appealed to him to
help In petty tasks. but in all the
store there was not one. not even Ben
ismin Marston himself, who could do
this one work 50 well. He had come
to this special work with knowledge
plus ambition his knowledge was as
blunted sword in closet. dulled by
routine.
"Guess I'll 60 West" he muttered.
Tn a rut here-and It's bad rut"
Rising he rumpled his once tously
hair 1t occurred to him that since
his promotion" 10 advertising work
even his unruly hair had learned to
I lie down Thcughffully he turned off
the light The elevator was off duty.
he descended the stairway. At its foot
he almost tripped over a chair. He
laughed family.
I've spoken dozen times TO the
ianitor about leaving this hallway
clear at night" he rejected, but with
out anger
| Next-morning he came down TO
work early. With q leisurely air he
swept into the raste-basket high
piled accumulation OF other peoples
advertising ideas. Then. leaning back
in his swivel chair. with his hands be-
hind his head. ne proceeded most dill
gently to think, IN the dun. quiet ten
r,ifutes that followed his mind.
coursing freely and unchecked, plot
ted cut the high points of months
advertising campaign Here bright
idea. there a catchy slogan-agatn. a
plain or two for pushing out the last
Of the summer stock before 1t became
hopeless
with a thrill Of enthusiasm Manfony
snatched a pencil and commenced rap
idly To tot down some notes A mo-
ment later the telephone at his elbow
rang.
The cali came from Winters In the
rug department Say. come down
here and help us bit, One of the
BOYS is of today---took In the excur-
sion TO the lake. Were fearfulls.
busy"
I'm busy. too" protested Msntony.
oh come along--he q good sport. :"
clead ed the other. Mars'on said
2 esii II
II was all quite in order. Mantony
then decided He could help part OF
tire morning in the rug department and
s'ill have ample time to map out the
next davis Advertisements before noon.
Later he could md time to iil in the
details. So he went downstairs.
/, YEAS II o'clock when he returned.
The little room was upside down.
Upon his chair and his deck chinaware
was piled His notes Uttered the floor
What the dickens does this mean ."
he demanded hetiy
One of the n,en from the China
room. entering. GRAINED At him.
Don't get huffy.~ he urged. We're
Just shifting things a bit and MArston
told us we could SOW the stun here.
Didn't expect you back 50 soon"
Mantony felt the covert sheer. With
| his hands In his packets he stared at
the scattered sheets
oh. don't mina.' he replied of
course. I'm in bit of hurry to get
TO work. Try to clean up as soon as
you can--and would YOU mind picking
DIP the papers and pufting them on the
desk = They're important. At
For moment Mantony stared. to-
tally without de lection or elation about
the little room, The china department
people were cominx and going He
could accomplish more In the rug de-
partment than he could trying to work
in his ONCE.
At dinner ne spoke to his wife about
the West. Her look grew puzzled and
she proceeded to ask questions
Tn thinking OF going West. Ma
bel" he explained
And leave the Emporium? How
| on earth could the Emporium get
along without your