The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-06-10
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
"a. Job for jerry.
BY DOROTHY DOUGLAS.
Copyright, 1919, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate)

States destroyer TO find that he had
no job. Also he had returned to Amer
lea U, lind himself more in love than
ever with Margery Coles.
III your firm had proved TO be as
loyal as have, Jerry Margery said to
MN one night when they were discuss.
ing the hopeless outlook for their i'm
mediate happiness, I'VE could be mar.
, REC at once, couldn't WEI"
Jerry laughed a trifle bitterly.
Yes-but unfortunately my firm
Thinks OF dollars and cents before pa.
kriotism."
Never mind, wen find a job
we're bound to, dear" Margery COM
torted. "And I'll wait and keep on
working Just as long as it is neces-
sary."
When Gerald had enlisted In the
navy and had been sent overseas Mar
gerry had decided to find herself a DO.
sttion where she might not only be
mentally occupied during his absence
out where she could be economically
Independent in case her fiance should
not return: For Margery could not
conceive OF ever loving any one else
but Jerry.
Gerald had risen from the status of
a common sailor TO be chief petty
officer, and while he had had a vast
experience in nautical lines, had
learned to coal a vessel, had had the
wheel on many occasions, had visited
many ports in Europe and had had mar.
row escapes from s bmarines, he had
returned unchangedin his easy-going
dispositiqp and lack of business acu.
Gerald lacks pep Margery's broth
er always said to her. "You know,
Md, I'm fond of him and want him for
q nrotherin!law, but he will never set
the world on fire with his brIlliance.
Now. will hep
Margery was willing to admit that
his wonderful disposition, his gentle
ness. his almost feminine tact were
hardly the best recommendations a
man could have for an active business
lie, and yet she knew that somewhere
there must be place where Just such
men were needed. Therefore. Margery
being In business herself and in touch
moro or less with various phases OF
business affairs, decided to find such
an opening for Jerry.
Margery knew that Jerry was spend.
ing his days trying to find position.
and she realized how difficult 1t was
Tor him, with his apparently limited
ability to locate place that would pay
living wage and give promise for the
future. Also, she knew that he was
growing sensitive about the situation.
Her own employer was a man OF
splendid business dexterity, had made
o success early in life by his own
/ achievement, but his quick temper, his
impatience, his lack of tolerance with
any sort OF inefficiency made him at
times difficult to understand.
During the war the telephone SER
vice fell below par. On more than one
occasion Margery had to use all of her
tact to keep her employer from losing
bis temper with the slowness Of the
operators in getting numers, both in
and out of the city for him. He was
inclined on the spur of the moment to
blame corporation unrestrainedly
without considering the exigencies OF
the occasion.
One day he was unable to obtain
any sort of connection to one of his
branch offices out of town and he be.
came so thoroughly out of temper, so
I greatly annoyed at the apparent lack
Of attention to business on the part of
"John"-the exchange in which his
OWN office was located-that he went
forthwith to the manager of John"
By the time he reached the head
was still out OF sorts, but not out OF
hamper. He had talk with Official
John" who proved to be man of wide
understanding of human nature and Of
extreme tact in handling disgruntled
patrons.
Margery was watching for her en-
ployer TO return, for he had been very
cross when he left. She knew him
we'll enough to know that he would
have time to consider conditions and
would come back in a fairer frame Of
mind. Secretly, however, Margery
was glad she had to spend only eight
hours in his employment and did not
have to live in the house with him.
She wondered il his wife minded his
temper. She was glad Gerald did not
have such an irritable disposition.
"Wen, Miss Coles, I've had an ex-
perieAcei" Margery's employer said
es he stepped into the office.
eyes. Mr.. Hopkinson," Margery said,
looking up from her work.
sTwept to that telephone company
feeling that we had been shamefully
treated; that we we're being made to
pay for service that was unspeakably
bad, and- came away with feeling
that We were impatient, inconsider-
ate, unpatrtotic. That manager of the
John branch Is a human wonder. You
70 In there with peeve-you COPE
ont feeling that you should apologize.
call that man an asset to any COM
pany. / guess there is a place for
every one in this world-eyen good
disposition and tact and even temper
may be made a stock in trade II you
can only find the right place to put
the stock"
Little did Margery's employer know
how much those few words meant to
her. At once Gerald's qualities pre-
scented themselves to her mind. That
was the very sort of position for him.
She would start about at-once-to ind
him such an opening.
She thought over the matter for days
and at last she decided to goto herown
employer for. advice.
M. Hopkinson not only gave her the
advice she sought but he went so far as
TO intsFcede for her with the telephone
Company, with the result that Gerald