Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 March 1919 — Jones Gets a Raise [ARTICLE]

Jones Gets a Raise

By IMES MACDONALD

<Copyright, 1918. by McClure Newspaper .!.* ' Syndicate. ) - S7 - Mr. .Tones reached over idol fyjve his adding limcfiiue it Hot U'lilaii\r jabs and flLfTHtn lapsed Into it rrw cite. TTvo yt-tiTs iuii of it inTflvvf.stern and On>’T<l R. .Tones had little 1 to boast of in 1 Ih* way of aoblevement. Jie sines-been ambitions, l>ut eager and enthusiastic application to his job for five long years had failed Jo lift huu 7 nut of the clerkVeUvss. When lie. had taken the }ol> In answer i«> an advertisement he had been sssumi of “rapid advancement and a ftittire for the right man.” But Ih* wa I ** st ill drting_tlie same work he hail beep doing after his first’ three-m-m-t-fts-w i -*-b----the company. He hnd stuck to one Jojirßlt sihow and hnlttst rtntis purpose without its bringing him itoytittag In the w:>y-of-wdvatfnvnietH —and now that it was June-again the prospect jtf another long, hot snminer in «>tli< e galled him. — With a thoughtful air he withdrew from his wallet a clipping which ho had torn from his newspaper on the way downtown In the subway that morning. “WANTED—At hleilc young man as Itoatinan on gentleman's estate. Com | ■necti cut-shore. Must be expert swhnmer—know motorboats, sailboats and canoes—make repairs and he generally useful and obliging; $60 -monthly and hoard. See Mrs. Agnes Turner between 10 and 12 Tuesday, Hut el A rkwright.” And after lie hod read the ad through once more young Mr. Jones arose from his desk and entered theprivate office -of-hia great and exclusive boss, the well-known Mr. Henry —p. Riggs. —Mr. Higgs, or ‘•Old 1i.1‘..“ as be was called in the outer office, stared at the Impulsive Mr. .Tones with surly j surprise. The privacy of his domain had tuner before been so violated. “Well?" he demanded. “I’m Jones.” said Jones, “David It. Jocea. I've been with this company live years. I have a fair education, a certain amount of brains and some ability. When I caiue here I was promised rapid advancement and a future, and before I die of old age at $35 a week I Thought l*d go ih t o the npnter with you.” “Well 7" repeated Old H. P. sourly. “I want a man’s job and $3,000 a year from today or I'm through." Old H. I*. glared, and tlie barest crinkle of a sarcastic smile puckered up one corner of his mouth. “You’re ; through, ail right 1" ho agreed, “and you ; won’t hud .three-thousand-del! at* -jobs hanging on trees around this town, young man." - - “Anyway," grinned Jones affably’, “I don’t intend to hang on this tree till I’m rotten. There lire plenty of other r trees growing in -tiny orchard of Man- . hattau." “Very well,” growled Old H. I’.. turning back to his desk. “But.if.you don’t.>i get your fancy joty you can have your old one here any time before the first of September,” lie tiling over his shoulder. "Huh!" he grunted a few tftiys later .when the incident recurred To him. “The young squirt! And I was proud of fifteen a week at his age!” But at that very moment David 11. Jones, clad in a sleeveless- jersey and an old pair of flannel trousers, was tuning-up the engine of a high-powered motorboat up on the Connecticut shore. “Hello, boatman!" shouted a voice above the din. and Jones looked up to see a smiling face peering at him over the edge of the dock. She swung her legs over the side and j turned around with the intention of j sliding down backwards to the deck of the bofit, some six feet below. Her skirt caught on a bolt.; but she kept ! right on sliding tilLrht* modest Mr. ; Jones was compelled to turn his farce.j away. _ “Unhook me." she finally wailed indignantly. And Jones, wiping his dirty hands on a piece of waste, reached up obediently and unbooked her. setting her safely on her feet with a grin. j “My—my coming was quite a re vote- j lion. wasn’t it?” she said demurely, the <rrbe* deepening; in her cheeks. - -t But Jones had pretended not to fio-rj tiee. althougli the nice men who pre- J tend never to notice are the very ones who never miss anything. “Who might yon be?" lie askejij pleasantly, “I’m Lotta. the youngest, " she laugh- j ed. “Carlotta Higgs, you know. We ouly got here just a little while ago— Louise and Nina and Aunt Agnes. Aunty says you impressed her very favorably at your interview iti town, and she thinks you're going to be a very nice boatman. What’s your name?” : And from that day forth David it. Jones was Lotta’s very own. She appropriated %puv as something sent to , Iter by the gods for her own especial pleasure and amusement. Together they painted the boats—ttlended the j dock—rebuilt the float. Sturdily she j worked at his side, and in between ’runes they swam together. If the rest of tlie family noticed, it at all they merely parsed it off with a shrug—for after alDLottu wa* oniy’a kid, but— The day H. P. Higgs was expected up to spend a week with bjs family, lipitn' and Jones went across the bay in the motorboat to hhii, and he was introduced to the bare-shouldered* , brawny* yofutg boattnan by his dayghtet. At. first jhg’ tiid not recognize Jones, hot the way Lotta hovered over

that ybung mEh drew her rafherli undivided attention and disapprovai—and while he glowered over hia daughter's an nppnret-t » wegti on for his erstwhile clerk. Janes’ identity registered itself oh his brain. , '' “Davy isn’t really It boatman,'* expIBUTMI I,(lll j^ffTTt'(“fillll e i ilbil nLhi ■t the dinner table, "He's jn-rt a very nice young man who worked his head off five whole years for a grouchy old man who wouldn't give him a clmnwv s<• Dav\ made up his mind -to have a nice vacation this suimnci* wnd tinwA better jpb next fall." , Ami a s nsual 1/nliii Irti/ied through Iter dinner ami slipped down U» the “Why, <la,fti it all !" said l*avy. a few en'ilfiiites later, “You shouldn’t have told • IiTTTr-th7it. —¥uur-ftrther-wrts-the old guy who wouldn't give me a Chßlice !" And L»*ttn ?nt hrtck Mgaim-l nriurF' turned iamt Ui amazement. “Mean old tiling!" she said, disrespectfully, with | visions in lu r young mind of putting I it tu n’ nil Imr tut her. Then she louui < j hi r slim length against Davy -.Times. —and if you've ever had. anyone you . ievi-d sT a tiding as Lotta was, begging to kissed-, you proliahly know just Ui' < dill about it. ■'Sgnr ilir \ ry fir-1 day, .Duty <!ear. I’ve ' bcetr w iinl ing you to kiss me,” she was saying, as tin*, glow (if Old H, P.’s cigar came -ttroupd the corner of the boathouse. For a moment he stopped and —watched the two who stood so close together them his daughter . and Davy Jones —then he walked over and faced them grimly. ”1 suppose youT! lie wanting your L -nhbJiflT-bii('k--agriiit. !J '-strnt~-ii7~±‘’.Biggs: to the startled Mr. .tones. “When a man’s married he nit her needs a job, doesn't he? Hut the two of you can't live on thirty-five a week.” “T-otia says We can." grinned Jones, bugging that w illing young woman just a hit closer —and then he bluffed a little. “However, we wonThnve to. Tin ■starting with Hogers. W.viaan & Go., the first of September at $3,500 a year." Whereupon Lott a squeezed his arm and eyed her father host!leiy. For a moment H. I’. Higgs withstood that glance and then he extended his hand with n grin. ~ ~~“On tlie-contrary. I»ave "-he -said nlmost genially, “you’re starting with H. P. Higgs Uo. at $5.000 —and eventually a—a partnership.” And then Lotta graciously transferred one of Davy Jones’ kisses to her father and hack again.