The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-07-19

business has not been over-good for
some years, and an extra couple of !
hundred would have been very handy. |
Tell me all about it, said l.
Well said he, showing me the
advertisement, you can see for your
self that the League has vacancy, |
and there is the address where you
should apply for particulars. AS far
as ] can make out, the League was
founded by an American millionaire,
Ezekiah Hopkins, who was very pecul-
lar n his ways. He was himself red
headed, and he had a great sympathy
for all red-headed men; so, when he
died, it was found that he had left his
enormous fortune in the hands OF
trustees, with instructions to apply
the interest to the providing of easy
berths to men whose hair is of that
color From all l hear it is splendid
pay, and very little to do
But said l, there would be mill
ions of red-headed men who would
apply
Not so many as you might think
he answered. You see it is really
confined to Londoners, and to grown
men. This American had started
from London when he was young, and
ne wanted to do the old town good
turn. Then, again, have heard it is
no use your applying if your hair is
light red, or dark red, or anything but
real bright, blazing, fiery red. Now,
II you cared to apply, Mr.. Wilson, you
would just walk in; but perhaps it
would hardly be worth your while
to put yourself out of the way for the
sake of a few hundred pounds
| Now, 1t is fact, gentlemen, as you
may see for yourself, that my hair
is OF very full and rich tint, so
that it seemed to me that, If there
was to be any competition in the
matter, | stood as good a chance as
any man that l had ever met. Vim
cent Spaulding seemed to know so
much about it that thought he might
! prove useful. SO / just ordered him
to put up the shutters for the day,
and to come right away with me. He
was very willing to have a holiday,
so we shut the business up and
started off for the address that was
given US in the advertisement.
l never hope to see such a sight
as that again, Mr.. Holmes. From
north, south, east and west every man
who had a shade of red in his hair
had tramped into the city to answer
the advertisement. Fleet Street was
choked with red-headed folk. and
Pope's Court looked like a coster's
orange barrow. l should not have
thought there were so many in the
, whole country as were brought to-
! gether by that single advertisement
! E,VnrU a. Of
straw, lemon, orange, brick, Irish-set
ter, liver, clay; but as Spaulding said
there were not many who had the
real vivid f1ame-colored tint. When
saw how many were waiting | would
have given it up in despair; but Spaul
ding would not hear of it. How he
did 1t | could not imagine, but he
pushed and pulled and butted until he
got me through the crowd, and right
up to the steps which led to the office
There was double stream upon the
stair, some going up in hope, ant
some coming back detected; but.we
wedged in as we'll as we could, an6
soon found ourselves in the office"
Your experience has been a mos
entertaining one" remarked Holmes
as his client paused and refreshed hi!
memory with a huge pinch of snuff
: Pray continue your very interesting
statement"
: There was nothing in the offic,
| but a couple of wooden chairs and
: deal table, behind which sat a small
( man, with a head that was evel
| redder than mine. He said a fey
v words to each candidate as he cam
4 up, and then he laways managed t,
D. ind some fault in them which woul
dlsqualify them. Getting a vacanc
did not seem to be such a very cas-.
Y matter, after all. However, when GU
S turn came, the little man was nue.
0 more favorable to me than to any c
d the Others, and he closed the doc
: as we entered, so that he might hay
b a private word with US.
/ This is Mr.. Jabez Wilson, sal
my assistant, and he is willing t
e fill vacancy in the League
e And he is admirably suited for it
the other answered. He has ever
requirement. l cannot recall when
u have seen anything so fine He too
e a step backward, cooked his head o
one side, and gazed at my hair unit
Ii felt quite bashful Then suddenl
he plunged forward, wrung my hanC
a and congratulated me warmly on N
It success.
h 1t would be injustice to hesitate
said he. You will, however, l al
t sure, excuse me for taking an obviou
q precautiOn' With that he Seized m