Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-04-13


given you a chance to learn something
about the Argus establishment and the
staff"
Yes, it has" %interposed the caller
dryly.
Pretty bright looking crowd, major.
aren't they? Boys, this is Major Hay
den, the former owner and editor of
the Centerville Courier. He has bought
out my interests in the Argus, taking
possession at once, and / trust the new
relationship between you as employer
and'-
Hello! What has been going on
here? What is that sign you are carry
ing around on your back, major? Here.
let me remove it. 'Turnips Fol Sale
Ell? / surely hope that miserable at
tempt at wit was not placed on your
back by any n connected with this
establishment"
II am afraid it was. colonel" was the
calm reply. you see. the boys mistook
me for one of your rural subscribers,
and they have been having some
amusement at my expense. But l see
they are pretty we'll worked up over it,
so perhaps we had better finish u in
terview in your private office and give
our humorous friends a chance to think
the matter over quietly by themselves"
Half an hour later when the new
proprietor of the Argus emerged from
the inner sanctum he found a rather
solemn looking crowd awaiting his APP
pearance, and Barney Blake's erstwhile
smiling countenance was the most Sc
%pulchrally solemn of them all as he
stepped forward and gravely handed
him a folded document.
Opening it, Mr.. Hayden read as fol-
lows:
Major Hayden:
Dear Strive have had our innings, and
it is now your urn. AS the future pro-
prietor of the Daily Adgus you doubtless
will not care to retain in your employ the
staff of long cared, unmitigated donkeys
now connected with the paper, and we
herewith hand you our designations, to
take effect immediately, together with our
apologies for the objectionable treatment
received by you at our hands this after
noon.
This note was signed by Managing
Editor Blake and the other members
of the Argus staff. and below the sig
natures was the following postscript:
P. S.-The boys were bound to share the
blame equally with myself and hand in
their designations with mine. but as l am
the head of the Office and the others took
their cue from me l feel that l alone
should shoulder the responsibility ic-
what occurred. and as an ,act of Justice
to my fellow employees L ask that my
resignation alone be accepted and that no
one else shall be made to suffer for my
fault. The rest of the boys are a pretty
good lot. They will serve you faithfully
and redeem themselves in your eyes, /
am sure. if you will give them a chance.
Yours respectfully,
BARNEY BLAKE.
"Resignations declined with thanksl
You are all going to stick right TO your
jobs until | tell you different" an.
nounced Major Hayden bluntly as he
finished reading the above communica-
ton and. tearing it into strips. drop
ped it into the wastebasket- you've
had your lesson, boys. and | guess
there isn't much danger of any more
such exhibitions as we have had here
this afternoon. I'm willing 70 try you
anyhow.
But I'm glad you added that post
script, Mr.. Blake" he concluded, reach
ing over and giving Barney's hand a
hearty shake. 1T has a manly ring
to it, and | reckon we'll get along to-
gether all right"