The Washington herald., 1921-05-08
Concerning a Young Man
Who Made the Mistake of
Hiding His Light Under a
Bushel.

the verdict He uttered 1t distinctly
that G. Montgomery Gage. looking up
some records in the file room. heard
every word through the thin partition
between this quiet retreat and Haskins'
private office
The bending figure Of G.. Montgomery
Gage stood upright with a jerk. He was
no eavesdropper. Indeed, he had a rath-
er nice sense Of honor. But the words
he had caught included his own name;
and they were so few and warmly de-
livered that his mind had registered each
of them before his ethical sense awak-
ened- He had caught first, almost with
out realizing II and certainly without
interest, a sentence from the lips of Brad
ley. the office manager. uttered in the
gentle. persuasive tones Bradley reserved
for Haskins alone.
But what's the matter with him?
think he'd develop into the best possible
man for the place"
Haskins ignored Bradleys opinion. as
re had a wav of doing in Bradley's pres
ehce. though lie occasi onally quoted it
a:terward: but he answered Bradley's
question
The matter with G. Montgomery
Gage" he irritably announced, lis that
he's wholly colorless. The fellow hasn't
any personality"
The body of G.. Montgomery Gage.
twenty feet away in the file room, sank
Imply into the nearest chair. So that
was what the boss thought of him!
The fact that even yet he had not taken
in the full force of the criticism did not
prevent him from iercely resenting it.
For an instant he gave himself up to a
scorching humiliation. shot through with
anger. Then the next words of the dia-
logue fell upon his heat like an autumnal
RAIN.
But I think" This was Bradley.
NO. you don't II you were doing any
thinking you'd catch my point. This
SounG Gage"
Young Gage realized that the time had
come to take himself away from their
proximity. He rose and dazedly made his
way out of the file room and along
corridor to a remote little office assigned
to YawIey, a salesman he knew now was
out of town. He hoped he might find this
office empty. His own desk was in the
firms crowded counting room, back to
back with Bradley's. 1t was augustly
fenced off by a low mahogany railing,
but the office boys stepped over this with
carefree abandon. and associates cheer
fully addressed both men across it. The
spot did not offer that privacy Cages
suffering soul now demanded.
1aWleyS little room was empty. Win
an ejaculation of relief that was half a
ErOan Gage bolted into it. locked the
door. and, sitting down before its un-
busted desk, rested his elbows the
cIuttered top, took his head between his
hands. and called upon his will to steady
his rccIing faculties.
His will. which was a fairly well train
cd one. presently obeyed. Slowly the sit
uation grew clear in his mind. In his
first daze he had actually imagined him.
self in for the blue envelope"-though.
considering his excellent record. it seemed
incredible that he should be discharged.
1t was incredible. he reasoned with re-
vivinG poise. Why. he was Bradley's
right hand man. Only last week Brad
ley had told him and had buoyantly
hinted at something pleasant to be dis
cusscd later.
Gage knew what that something pleas
ant was. 1t was the possible promotion.
of G. Montgomery Gage to the job of city
salesman. made vacant by the untimely
death of Bob Walton, who had success
fully filled it for three years. Cages
mind quite clear now. worked with graft
flying aIertness. 1t grasped the crux of
the situation, which very simple.
Bradley had suggested him for the
cant post and Haskins had turned him
down.
The rest was not so easy to follow,
but with new look in his steady eyes
and a jaw line suddenly frightened young
Gage set himself to the task of getting
at the bottom of it He had been turned
down because Haskins did not approve
"f him-because Haskins considered him
"colorless," whatever the deuce that
meant. and lacking in personality"
The charge of cOlorlessness left G.
Montgomery Gage fiat. He was at
as to just what it meant and how to
remedy 1t. The matter of personality
was clearer. He understood it in gen.
cral way. but this was no time for gen.
"ralities- He must get down to rock
bottom. To the subconscious mind of C.
montgomery Gage man with person
uIity'' was the loud. hearty, breezy. self
assertive, rather vulgar sort-in short.
the type he himself abysmally disliked
and had gone to extremes to avoid be-
coming. Now he had discovered that the
boss liked that type-or did he? He,
Haskins was loud and self-assertive, but
he was neither breezy nor hearty. In
stead he seemed the willing victim of
perpetual crouch. Also he remembered
that Haskns openly disliked a fat en-
pIoye named Walker. who represented
breeziness and heartiness in their fullest
towering. Walker was a valuable man,
but Haskins had no personal intercourse
with him. and every one except Walker
knew why. So perhaps Haskins didn't
like breeziness and heartiness after all.
And what was personality" anyway?
To Gage in this serious hour. its mean
ing was less clear than ever before. 1t
was rzerely a word and a hazy impress
ion. He decided to learn its exact mean
ing Returning to the counting room
with brisk steps. he dropped into his
desk chair and the next moment was
turning the leaves of a dictionary with
fingers that still felt slightly unsteady.