Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1920-02-26
THE ALIEN
By CECILLE LANGDON

oyervork at top-notch speed. It was
the end. the doctor told him. unless
he could spend year in New MpS.co.
Warren went thither. AT the end Of
six months he had exhausted the last
penny of his careful savings and was
forced 10 work, beg or Starve. Most
fortunately he happened across a
ranch owner the great extent of whose
holdings demanded quite some clerical
attention When not busy M his ac-
counts Warren helped rounding up the
cattle. There was just enough vigor
Gus outdoor exercise to harden him,
and at the end Of the year his ailments
We're gone.
Bound to get back to the city, are
your propounded his employer, dis
appointedly
"Why, yes" replied Warren. "Some-
how ii has lure for me like TO be
among men and events. They interest
me. I'm done with ambition, though
that is, the kind that steams ahead
reckleSsly and winds up In wreck"
"You are IN quite prime condition"
advised his physician when, bronzed
ana brisk Warren reported TO him
"Now don't fall back into the old rut
The ideal life for you is position
where you can get outside half of the
time" and Warren proceeded to look
for work corresponding with this
basis Luckily he found II at the very
start His ideas of compensation were
modest.
His new employer was the publisher
~ an annual city directory. Three
months in the year 1t was all canvass
Ing for names Warren had his own
district. covering territory where the
majority OF the population was Of for
eign birth or descent He had a smat-
tcring of several languages aud ms
each year came around about one
third oC it was spent ia the open air
He had completely systematized his
district and his friendly ways won the
cooperation of landlords, parish
priests and policemen, who knew old
and new residents of the district.
Particularly helpful In spelling out
strange names and getting them cor
rect was n young girl named Aida
Merrill She had charge Of Il crcchc
for u benevolent society and cared for
children left in daily charge. Her sal
AIRY was small. but she loved the little
ONES and this constituted bond be-
tween Warren and herself She had
acquired a knowledge Of Polish and
Bohemian and very often corrected
Warrens list where, because of the
ignorance of those he listed. he was
compelled 20 spell names purely by
sound.
Most of the canvassers on the direc-
tory were transient employees. War
rem, however, had become so proficient
and experienced that he was taken on
permanently There was always more
or less clerical work to do between di-
rcctory issues. The company was
often solicited to furnish classified
As the company had for reference
the directories OF all the large cities Il
genealogical bureau in England once
employed them 10 list all the
"Drrkes" in the United States. Some
real life romanccs and tragedies came
to light IN other Investigations. These
Warren was deputized to take in
charge
4 peculiar case had come to him.
4 local law firm employed him per
sonally TO look over old directories and
try to locate one Naclav OQuison. They
stated that Oquisou had left Poland ten
years previous and it was known that
for time he had lived In Chicago.
The name was an odd one, but did not
occur IN amy local or other directories
Warren gave up the search but did
not forget the incident, for the attor-
ucys stated that they would pay him
five thousand dollars for the discovery
Of this NHclaN Oquison.
Warren was glad to start out on the
annual canvass. II would give him an
excuse 20 again meet Miss Merrill,
whom lac could not forget. one after
noon, in the very next house tn the
Irghe, he came ACROSS a man who re
fused to give his uUme Warren dis
nerncd that ne was a Pole he went
to Aida ana asked her 90 assist him IN
getting the muu's name ~lov kuowl
edge Of his native tongue eyideGt'y
won upon the foreigner.