The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-31
EVENING STORY
Uncle Thaddeus breaches.
(By Osborn Jones.)


abroad in the big factory it hadn't
permeated to the business office
There, except for the fact that the
calendars were opened to Decempei
"a, and that at 8 o'clock in the after
noon business activities seemed TO las'
tho there were two more hours or the
workday, one might have thought II
was any other time but Christmas
The telephone operator leaned pach
in her chair by the switchboard. IN
small mirror fastened at the top OF the
board she regarded her own pert
countenance and languidly dapped
bit more powder on her nose with the
large wool puff she had in her mana.
She was almost always armed with
this munition. Out of the corner of
her eye she saw Tom Brewster, the
one-time office boy who had MADE
good on the road, and had been back
from a long trip but day. Tom had
once made her consent to wed him,
but now her little head had been turn
ed by the tickle glances of buyer and
the telephone operator chose to be
cruel
The light that flickered on the board
before her reused her slightly. 1t was
from the managers office.
Where the deuce is Miss Bland ~
came the voice thru the receiver. Miss
Bland was the private secretary Send
her in at once"
A minute later when Miss Bland
hurried noiselessly into the managers
office a tear glistened in her eye.
Perhaps, who knows, it was because of
Bill Clark. Rumor had had it once
that Clark was engaged to Miss Bland,
but the chief cashier, turned of head
by a recent promotion, had, as the
new salesman put it, been hitting it
up" of late, with a consequent loss of
irofo i,, iat 1op
The manager frowned as Miss
Eland took her seat, dictated rapidly,
dismissed her and then called her
back.
Take this memo for Clark. See
that Thaddeus is discharged at the
tice and no wages in advance" and
then, tho Miss Bland managed to
choke back the exclamation of surprise
that came to her throat, the manager
muttered an apology.
mo reason why we should burden
ourselves with people after they are
too old to do their work, and it isn't
any of our business what becomes of
them afterward. I've seen enough of
philanthropy in business. 1t doesn't
pay. That's all now. Miss Bland
She left and as she went there were
two tears in her eyes, but they were
both for herself. She was part of the
spirit about her, and, save for her feel
ing of surprise, she felt no concern for
the old porter who had been dismissed
so summarily.
Sorry the old fellows got to go"
remarked Bill Clark later when he had
noted the memorandum from the
manager. He was as funny as
crutch. Honest, I'll miss not having
him to laugh at. He says he used to
be a preacher, and there's nothing he
likes to do like preaching. Dye ever
hear him"
Clark was talking to the new sales
man, but it occurred to neither of them
to feel pity for the old man who had
worked faithfully for ten years in the
big factory. at a wage barely sufficient
to pay for his frugal meals and his
cheap tobacco.
Even when the kindly-faced, white
bearded old darby ambled in, dragging
a burlap trash bag behind him and
bending under the burden of his
broOms and mops, no one seemed to
feel any pity. no one wondered what
would become of the poor old fellow
turned away from the only place in the
city that he knew as home. For old
Thaddeus in lieu of better wages, had
been allowed to sleep on a cot in the
engine room. His hours of work be-
gan in the late afternoon. when he
began to clear out the trash and rub
bish from the factory, and lasted INFO
the night with the scrubbing. sweep
Thaddeus went about his work, smil-
ing as he did SO.
FGuess the old gink is a little
dipped. Watch him smile" remarked
the chief cashier.
The afternoon dragged on, but be-
cause it was Christmas eve there was
little work to do. Four o'clock and
still the spirit of Christmas hadn't
made the least Roadway in the office
of the big factory. The telephone girl
yawned and welded the powder puff
again. The manager sat in his office
looking anXiously into space-not be-
cause he had any special cause for
anxiety, but from force of recently ac-
quired habit. The private secretary
sat at her desk, trying to read a book
but thinking, no doubts of the cashier
Ter were swapping stories in the CASH
ier's office.
Meantime old Thaddeus was am
bling back and forth thru the offices
with bags full of waste paper and rub
Dish. What do you say to getting the
old fellow to perform for us?" sug
gested the cashier to the salesman. Il
remember once, years ago, we got him
going-stood him up on the desk and
you never heard such scream He
preached about Adam and Eve and
Noah and the rest of them-preached
till the tears were running down his
old cheeks and the tears were run
ming down ours from laughing. Then
we passed the hat and got few dimes
for ninl-he said he was going to send
it back to his old sister in Virginia.
Shouldn't wonder if he did 1t was
about 81. L suppose, but it looked like
lot to him."
Ten minutes later. old Thaddeus,