The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1929-03-22
Improving
Stanley
BY JANE OSBORN
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Hicks nor did she consent to talk to
him on any matters that were not of
strictly business nature within office
hours. The young men who were seen
to have their minds on personal and
social matters during business hours
DIDN'T stand good chance of advance
ment in the firm of Brooks & Smith.
But the noon hour was their own and
two or three times week Mollie con-
sented to meet Stanley on the corner
and go with him to lunchean. Mollie
never permitted herself to discuss
with Stanley matters of a more or less
confidential nature with which she
was acquainted as private secretary
for Mr.. Brooks. That Is, she had
never done so until certain day In
late summer when Mr.. Brooks was
away on his vacation.
That day she appeared at luncheon
with a large envelope In her hand,
and before she showed Stanley the
clippings it contained she told him
that she had reason to suspect that
he was in u line for big chance In
the autumn.
IF that's the case, then, Mollie, my
dear Mr.. Brooks will have to be look
ing for another secretary. It's all we're
waiting for now"
Mollie's smile assured Stanley that
she had had no change of heart-still
there were other matters to discuss
q chr "a GgT
didn't say positively that you were go
ing TO get this promotion-only / know
that Mr.. Brooks is thinking Of taking
you with him on his western trip. If
you go you'll have to meet the mem
bers of the western firm. Mr.. Brooks
will probably have you put up at the
same hotel and there will be impor-
tant business lunches and dinners
and you'll be asked to the country
club and things like that, don't you
know?'
"Pll bear that In mind" said Stan
ley. But why all the clippings, Mol
lie, my dear?
I've been saving them for you"
she said. Il am so anxious to have
you succeed and-just see what this
one says" Mollie opened one of the
clippings. This young man had nev-
er been to college or anything and
some one told him about this set of
books that contains all the worlds
best literature. He read 1t nights and
learned lot of appropriate questions
yr-ha ho III,
ner at the home of his rich employer
he simply amazed everyone with the
way he could talk. Now he is a mem
Der of The firm. And this young man,
that it tells about in another clipping,
Joined club that sent him all the
most-talked-about new books. He read
them and then when he went out so
clally he always made a hit with his
chatter"
Stanley, seeing that Molly wanted
him to take her seriously. asked
which proposition do you think
ought to begin on?"
We'll, perhaps you'd better begin
on the set of books and read what
you can and learn the quotations so
if you go in the autumn with Mr..
Brooks you'll feel in way prepared.
The other night when you were with
Uncle Jed he was delighted with the
way you could talk about potato crops
and fertilizers and the cider mill and
all-only you've got to remember that
while you were just struggling along
20 e.
other men you'll be likely to meet
were getting wonderful college edu-
cations"
Two months later Stanley Hicks
went West with Mr.. Brooks, and one
Monday morning six weeks later Mr..
Brooks stepped briskly into his Office
We've had a great trip" he told
Mollie as he took his seat before his
desk. THAT young fellow Hicks-well,
you were right. | never would have
thought he had so much to him. He
always seemed unsocial and too taken
up with his own particular job here
in the office. But, boy! Out there he
certainly made hit. We had a big
dinner one night out at the country
club. Invited couple of men We
were trying to put a big contract
through with-and he had EN- fairly
hypnotized. They told me later that
the reason they signed up was on ac-
count of Hicks"
"And what did Mr.. Hicks talk
about?" asked Mollie.
We'll, somehow we got to talking
about applejack and he got telling
about the rubes he knew when he was
a boy-and how they used to drink
applejack. and ii was better than a
three-ring circus. Then after dinner
we egged him on and he gave US the
funniest talk you ever heard about an
old-fashioned pig sticking and how
they made sausages. He could take
off those old country characters until
you felt they were right there. Well,
there was a couple of young college
graduates there who'd been trying to
get next to these big men on account
of belonging to the same fraternity.
Well, they had to sit back and take
notice. Later one of the men told
him that he ought TO go on the stage
doing impersonating-but Hicks told
them that if he had chance to make
good with Brooks & Smith there
wasn't any contract in the world that
would tempt him to do anything else.
SO | signed up with Hicks the very
next day. Three times what he was
getting with profit-sharing clause be-
sides. He seemed tickled to death, be-
cause he's got girl he's planning to
take for his wife as soon rs he metS