Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-02


- New Yorker. He had been
born and brought up In the
middle west; that is, IL a
hoy who becomes an orphan at eight
can be said to have been brought up.
In the fifteen years since he had
boarded the midnight train for New
York. with s12 in his pocket and the
battered Gladstone bag that had been
his fathers in his hand. Henry had
wiped away the last trace OF his
provincial origin.
On this particular day, a Monday
in August, it was precisely q quarter
past when Henry lifted his hat
in the anteroom of his Office and said
Good morning" to Miss Bell. 1t was
a privilege to say good morning TO
Miss Bell. She seemed sober at hrst
sight. And then YOU said GOOD
morning" and her face lighted up and
her brown eyes seemed actually to
sparkle as she said Good morning.
Mr.. Mills"
Henry sat down at his desk pre-
cisely as he always sat down at his
desk. 1t was the desk of man who
gets things done. The moment Henry
sat down at his desk Miss Bell APP
peared, as If by inagis, from the ante
room and placed before Henry the
most important letter in the MORN
ing's mail. She presented a second
letter only when Henry had disposed
of the first. Thus, though Henry
wrote a great many letters and cor
rected reams of advertising copy, and
dealt constantly with proofs and dunn
mics and estimates. there wa
never any accumulation of pa
pers on his desk Henry Was one
of Blade & Blades service men. ard
Blade & Blades methods are most
modern.
The letter Miss Bell now presented
bore the heading of the Camp Motor
Accessories Corporation of Midvale,
Ind 1t ran as follows:
Dear Mills: Since our talk last
week 1 have decided that 1 can make
the salary $4,000. instead OF $500,
and throw in 100 shares OF Camp Mo
tor Accessories Corporation stock. AT
our present rate, which should IN.
crease, these shares will bring you
$1,000 a year. You know $4,000 a
year buys twice as much out here as
it does in New York.
why don't you give up cabarets
and all that rot and come out here
and live?
In any case. you must come out
here and see US and meet our organi-
zation. You can get a train out OF
New York before midnight that will
bring YOU here in time for lunch.
Come out here Friday and spend the
weed end. You will never want to
go back. Yours cordially.
THEODORE CAMP,
President
A faint grin lowered on Henry's
lips Mr.. Camp didn't know that
Henry had been born in Midvale, Ind.
Henry looked up at the serene MISS
Bell
"Midvale is my old home town." ha
said briefly.
MISS BELL smiled at Henry--a
'A'A smile Of the most complete I'M
Outstanding. Miss Bell had been
Henry's secretary for more than three
years. 1t is possible that she under
stood Henry better than he UNDER
stood himself.
Henry looked out of the window.
looked out over a desert Of roofs at
the towers of Manhattan, their tall
shapes cleaning in the August sun.
But what Henry saw was a wide
macadam street and the long rows
of friendly elms that made an arch
of greenery above ia street in Mid
vale. Ind.
The town had doubled and re-
doubled its population within the
decade. The Camp Motor Accessories
Corporation had a whole group Of
new factories. So had the maf3ufac-
turers of the wabash Twin-four mo-
tor car. And the Everspark Igni-
ton people. But these were things
that Henry Mills knew as q business
man. AS a sometime citizen Of the
old Midvale he knew nothing about
the new Midvale.
All his memories of the old Midvale
were painful. His memory of his
last day in Midvale was the sharpest
and bitterest memory of his life. He
had worked all summer, the summer
after he had been graduated from
the Midvale High School, driving de-
livery wagon for his Uncle Andrew
feed store. His Uncle Andrew had
paid him SO a week, and Henry had
paid back s. for board. OF the re-
naming 50 Henry had saved an av-
erage Of sass a week. He hadn't
minded, because he was going to COL
lege in the fall on money his Uncle
Andrew was going to lend him. And
then in September his Uncle Andrew
had reigned. Without a word. Henry
had called at the bank for his saw
inss, had bought ticket at the rail-
way station, had packed the Glad
stone bag. He had never communi-
Gated with Midvale since. Midvale. in
the person Of his Uncle Andrew. had
thrown him down.
1t would be sweet to go back there
as q New York expert. 1t was sweet
merely to be asked to come back.
Henry turned to Miss Bell. AS
Henry began to speak Miss Belrs
pencil began to move.
IT still feel" he dictated, that it
would be a mistake for me to leave
New York. But cannot refuse your
handsome offer point blank. 1 should
like very much to go to Midvale and
see your plant and meet your organi-
zation. 1 find I can leave here
Thursday night. and arrive in Mid
vale Friday noon. as you suggest.
Unless I hear from you in the mean
time. you may expect me on Friday"