Evening star., 1922-11-26

hobo. Maybe he's there because he
can't help it"
Huh" says Uncle Nels. They
quit you, don't they?''
] had to admit that my force was
a shifty one, that some came and
went casual.
"RumS. they are-or worse" says
he. You don't know what they've
been
True" says I. Il seldom look
into their past, or ask for letter
from their minister. or demand
character references. Do you think
that would help in the odd job
business
I'D find out something before
took 'em on" says Uncle Nels.
At the time I merely hunched my
shoulders and let it ride. He's a
cagey old boy, Uncle Nels. and
because he got nicked by smok-
ing room shark Tor as much as three
fifty on his last trip back from
Sweden, he's apt to loop slant-eyed at
any stranger. But you never can tell
when a little hint like that is liable
to sneak back into your head.
x X *
NYWAY. it couldn't have been
n more than a day or so later, as I
was puzzling out how to attend to all
the work my two bright young col
lege hicks had drummed up in a
Textbook district on the upper West
Side, that into the Office trickled this
human string bean with the rat eyes
and the snee-y nose.
You get the sneery nose part.
, especially the long. thin ones. And
this had the deep side furrows con-
Meeting with the corners Of his
narrow-gauge mouth. The combina-
tion is often seen on head walters.
or ticket agents. or assistant audi
tors, and other birds who are picked
for their jobs, apparently, so they
can work out chronic crouch on
mankind. Only this one had dec
Grated his upper lip with one of
those silly toothbrush mustache
effects, and had sort Of hang-dog
way of carrying his head on one side
with the chin down. which made a
curious blend of scorn and humility.
Like an impudent beggar holding out
his cup and leering at you.
Need any extra hands. Mss" he
asked. rather whiny.
IF I didn't" says I. why should
] put the sign out?"
"Oh, well,'" says he, you can't
always tell. Generally they've just
filled the place and forgot to take it
In. Don't do any harm to ask, does
it,"
Whats your liner says ].
Inside wood finishin'," says he,
"wainscoatin', mouldin's. shelvfn' and
so on"
"And you were let out last from
where?" I goes on.
Trunk factory" says he. Been
knockin' wardrobes together"
II see,' says l. Making those cute
drawers that are stuck together with
pins and library paste and covered
with fancy cretonne-that kind that
look so neat and solid in June and
fall apart in September"
"Well," says he. squirting at me
sour. what you women expect for
thirty-nine fifty-a wreckproof steel
safe? You want trunk bargains and
YOU get 'em. didn't invent card
board bottoms and tin hinges. I just
put together the stuff they gave me"
Until they gave you the run, eh?".
says I.
'.They didn't give me no run" says
he. Il walked out on 'em when they
posted that last wage cut. And as
I'd enough Of Rochester anyway I
takes a chance on breezin' down to
New York. But say. these contrac-
tors want you to work for nuthin'
on apartment house stun. Not for me-.
Miss" - :,
Think you could re-hang sticky
DOORS" says I. land put up extra
kitchen shelves, and do odd jobs like
that with fussy women standing over,
Sou?"
:. ssurey" says he> Il could do the