The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-02-09
Inc William Morrow q Co.

fortnight inspecting the accounts
on the spot twice yearly, and then
moved on to another station.
His friends, therefore, consisted
solely of planters that he visited
twice yearly. since he was never
able to settle down for any leng-
thy period in one place and create
a permanent circle of friends.
He enlisted in 1914, but was not
sent home. being drafted as one
of the reserves to the Indian
frontier force. and thus spent the
whole of his war service in North
crn India. His father died in 1917
and Stodart was disappointed TO
find that his father left practical
Is nothing.
He had always assumed that, as
his father could spend very little
in his isolated Forest station he
must be saving good portion oil
his salary, but on Stodart seniors
death, il was found that he was
an invctcratc gambler and had in
vested all his savings in various
companies which held out pros
poets of enormous dividends from
oil. gold, ETC., but proved TO be
worthless concerns. His fathers
death did not improve Stodarts
position, therefore, and he was
not able to save very much out OF
his moderate salary.
He received promotion in his
firm from time TO time but never
rose higher in it than deputy &C
countant at salary of 500 pounds
a wear. Then he suffered a big
setback because his firm went UNI
der in 1881, owing TO world de-
preston, so he found himself out
of Job at the age of al.
He remained in India for fur
thcr two years, partly living on
his savings and partly by tenn
porary work which he managed to
obtain with one or two firms IN
rush periods.
Early in 1884 he decided that
the prospects of earning his Nv
ING in India were becoming more
and more hazardous and so he de-
cided to return to his mother
country. There, however, he did
not meet with any better fortune
as there were few opening Tor
men of his age and scope. Until
early this year he managed to sup
port himself by taking various
temporary clerical posts, but he
had practically exhausted his saw
ings, and was in a pretty bad way,
when he noticed an advertisement
in a local paper.
The advertisement offered
permanent post with good re-
Enumeration to a man free OF all
responsibilities, who was prepared
TO travel if necessary. Qualifica-
tions demanded were that the APP
plicant should be under so, but
have had at least 20 years exper-
fence in a secretarial post, or as
an executive in q business office.
Public school education not essen
tial but must possess decent man.
ners and appearance.
The advertisement appeared IN
the East Anglican Times and APP
plicants were asked to apply to a
Mr.. Bcnwood at the White Horse
Hotel, Ipswich. Stodart was stay
ing in the town at the time, so ne
called and managed TO secure the
job.
Having taken him on, Benwood
explined that his real name was
Bolitho Blame but he had not ad-
vertised under his real name in
order TO avoid unnecessary pub
licity. He took Stodart off the
next day to his home ut Cobham
in Surrey. For the next fortnight
Stodart acted as Blanc's secretary
but his duties were very light as
Blame did nearly all his business
over the wire, and never went TO
London. Stodart, in fact, was
never even called on to visit the
London offices of Blane's com.
panies, nor did he meet any OF
Blane's executives as, during this
period, none of them came down
to see him.
In the latter part of February
Blame informed Stodart that they
would shortly be leaving for the
United States and explained the
reason for his decision to make
the trip. By that time Stodart, OF
course, had acquired a certain
knowledge of Blane's situation
and his financial position, so he
was competent to undertake the
secretarial work which Blanc
gave him on the voyage over.
Stodart says himself that 1t
seemed queer Blame should take
on a complete stranger for this
lob of secretary with very little
knowledge about him, but he
thinks that Blame already had the
American trip in mind when he
engaged him and was anxious to
have somebody with him who was
capable of doing the odd jobs in
connection with his journey and,