Evening star., 1922-10-08

"HEY called him Wrong Number
in the bank because he nap
pened SO often and was so an
noying. His presence in the
White River National was painful u
bookkeepers, tellers and other prac-
ttcal persons connected with the n
nancial Gibraltar because, witnou'
having any definite assignment ne
was always busy. He was carried on
the rolls as q messenger, though hs
performed none Of the duties COM
monty associated with the vocation
calling or Job of a bank messenger
No one assumed responsibility iof
Wrong Number. not even the cash'ei
or the first vice president. and sucn
rights. powers and immunities as ne
enjoyed were either self-conferred OF
were derived from the president, MT
Webster G. Burgess.
Wrong Numbers true appellation as
disclosed by the pay roll was Clar-
ence e. Tibbotts, and the cynical note
teller averred that tho initial stooo
for Elmer. A small. compact figure
fair hair, combed to onion-skin
smoothness. a pinkish face and oapy
blue eyes-there was nothing IN
Wrong Numbers appearance to arouse
enimosity in any but the stoniest
heart. Wrong Number was polite. he
was unfailingly cheerful, and when
called upon to assist in one place or
another he responded with alacrity
and no one had reason to complain OF
his efficiency. He could produce a
letter from the fles quicker than
the regular archivist. or he could
play upon the adding machine as
though it were an instrument of ten
strings. No one had ever taught him
ANYTHING; no one had the slightest
intention of teaching him anything
and yet, by tmperceptible degrees. he.
as a free lance. passed through a Pc
riod Of mild tolerance into acceptance
as a valued and useful member of the
staff.
In the liberty loan rushes that we'll
nigh swamped the department, wrong
Number knew the answers to all the
questions that were fred through the
wicketa Distracted ladies who had
lost their receipts for the first pay
ment and timidly reported this fact
found Wrong Number patient and
helpful.
An early fear in the cages that the
president had put Wrong Number
into the bank as a spy upon the cleri-
cal force was dispelled when 1t be-
came known that the young man did,
on several occasions. conceal or con-
nive at concealing some of those
slight errors and inadvertencies that
happen in the best regulated OF
banks Wrong Number was an enig-
ma, an increasing mystery. nor was
he without his enjoyment of his as
sociates' mystification.
Wrong Numbers past, though veiled
In mist in the White River National,
may here be fully and truthfully dis
closed. To understand Wrong Num-
Der one must also understand Mr..
Webster G. Burgess. his discoverer
and patron. In addition to being an
astute and successful banker, Mr..
Burgess owned a string of horses and
sent them over various circuits at the
usual seasons, and he owned q stock
farm of high repute. as may be learn
ed by reference to any Of the au-
thoritative stud books. If his discreet
connection with the race track en-
couraged the belief that Mr.. Burgess
was what is vulgarly termed a
sport" his prize-winning shorthorns
in conjunction with his generous phi
lanthropies did much to minimize the
sin of tho racing stable.
MR.. BURGESS took care of his
wi customers" a heavenly attri-
harass them unnecessarily. Other
bankers In town who passed the plate
every Sunday in church and knew
nothing of horse might be suspicious
and nervous and even disagreeable in
a pinch, but Mr.. Burgess many ad-
mirers believed that he derived from
his association with horse breadth
Of vision and an optimism peculiarly
grateful to that considerable number
of merchants and manufacturers who
appreciate a liberal line of credit
Mr.. Burgess was sparing of Ian
guage and his "Yes" and mo" were
equally pointed and final. Some OF
his utterances, such as a warning to
the Misunderstanding vice president
Don't bring any anemic people into
my Office" were widely quoted in
to hap
the sheriff's Office" he remarked to
a customer who was turning sharp
corner. "Ive told the boys to renew
your notes. Quit sobbing and ge,
back on your job"
1t was by reason of their devotion
to horse that Burgess and Wrong
Number met and knew instantly that
the fates had ordained the meeting
Wrong Number had grown up in the
equine atmosphere Of Lexington
the Lexington Of the blue grassland
his knowledge of the rest Of the
world was gained from his journeys
to race meets with specimens of the
horse kind. Actors are not more
superstitious than horsemen, and
from the time he became a volunteer
assistant to the stablemen on the
big horse farm the superstition
gained ground among the cognoscenti
that the wings of the angel of good
luck had brushed his tow head and
that he was mascot of superior
endowment. AS he transferred HE
allegiance from one stable to an
other, luck followed him. and when