the efficiency expert-第4节

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s　all　I　know；　and　I　keep　dem　t'inkin'　it　by　pullin'　stuff　under　der　noses　often　enough　to　give　'em　de　hunch　dat　I'm　still　at　de　same　ol'　business。〃　He　leaned　confidentially　across　the　table。　〃If　you　ever　want　a　box　cracked；　look　up　the　Lizard。〃

〃Meaning？〃　asked　Jimmy。

〃Me；　bo；　I'm　the　Lizard。〃

〃Box　cracked？〃　repeated　Jimmy。　　〃An　ice…box　or　a　hot　box？〃

His　visitor　grinned。　　〃Safe；〃　he　explained。

〃Oh；〃　said　Jimmy；　〃if　I　ever　want　any　one　to　break　into　a　safe；　come　to　you；　huh？〃

〃You　get　me；〃　replied　the　other。

〃All　right；〃　said　Jimmy；　laughing；　〃I'll　call　on　you。　　That　the　only　name　you　got；　Mr。　Lizard？〃

〃That's　alljust　the　Lizard。　　Now　I　gotta　he　beatin'　it。〃

〃Goin'　to　crack　a　box？〃　asked　Jimmy。

The　other　smiled　his　lip　smile　and　turned　toward　the　door。

〃Wait　a　second；〃　said　Jimmy。　　〃What　would　you　have　gotten　on　this　watch　of　mine？〃

〃It　would　have　stood　me　about　twenty　bucks。〃

Jimmy　reached　into　his　pocket　and　drew　forth　a　roll　of　bills。　　〃Here；〃　he　said；　handing　the　other　two　tens。

〃Naw；〃　said　the　Lizard；　shoving　the　proffered　money　away。　　〃I'm　no　cheap　skate。〃

〃Come　ontake　it；〃　said　Jimmy。　　〃I　may　want　a　box　cracked　some　day。〃

〃All　right；〃　said　the　Lizard；　〃if　you　put　it　that　way；　bo。〃

〃I　should　think；〃　said　Jimmy；　〃that　a　man　of　your　ability　could　earn　a　living　by　less　precarious　methods。〃　〃You　would　think　so；〃　replied　the　Lizard。　〃I've　tried　two　or　three　times　to　go　straight。　Wore　out　my　shoes　looking　for　a　job。　Never　landed　anything　that　paid　me　more　than　ten　bucks　per；　and　worked　nine　or　ten　hours　a　day；　and　half　the　time　I　couldn't　get　that。〃

〃I　suppose　the　police　hounded　you　all　the　time；　too；〃　suggested　Jimmy。

〃Naw；〃　said　the　Lizard；　〃dat's　all　bunk。　　De　fellows　that　couldn't　even　float　down　a　sewer　straight　pull　dat。　Once　in　a　while　dey　get　it　in　for　some　guy；　but　dey're　glad　enough　to　leave　us　alone　if　we　leave　dem　alone。　I　worked　four　hours　to…day；　maybe　six　before　I　get　through；　and　I'll　stand　a　chance　of　makin'　all　the　way　from　fifty　dollars　to　five　thousand。　Suppose　I　was　drivin'　a　milk…wagon；　gettin'　up　at　t'ree　o'clock　in　the　mornin'　and　workin'　like　hellhow　much　would　I　get　out　of　dat？　Expectin'　every　minute　some　one　was　goin'　tuh　fire　me。　Nuthin'　doin'dey　can't　nobody　fire　me　now。　I'm　my　own　boss。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Jimmy；　〃your　logic　sounds　all　right；　but　it　all　depends　upon　the　viewpoint。　But　I'll　tell　you：　you've　offered　me　your　services；　I'll　offer　you　mine。　Whenever　you　want　a　job；　look　me　up。　I'm　going　to　be　general　manager　of　a　big　concern　here；　and　you'll　find　me　in　the　next　issue　of　the　telephone　directory。〃　He　handed　the　Lizard　his　card。

〃Tanks；〃　said　the　latter。　　〃If　you　don't　want　a　box　cracked　any　sooner　than　I　want　a　job；　the　chances　are　we　will　never　meet　again。　So…long；〃　and　he　was　gone　as　noiselessly　as　he　had　come。

Jimmy　breakfasted　at　nine　the　next　morning；　and　as　he　waited　for　his　bacon　and　eggs　he　searched　the　Situations　Wanted　columns　of　the　morning　paper　until　his　eye　finally　alighted　upon　that　for　which　he　soughtthe　ad　that　was　to　infuse　into　the　business　life　of　the　great　city　a　new　and　potent　force。　Before　his　breakfast　was　served　Jimmy　had　read　the　few　lines　over　a　dozen　times；　and　with　each　succeeding　reading　he　was　more　and　more　pleased　with　the　result　of　his　advertising　ability　as　it　appeared　in　print。


　　　　　　　　WANTEDBy　College　GraduatePosition　as　　　　　　　　　　General　Manager　of　Large　Business　where　ability；　　　　　　　　　　energy　and　experience　will　be　appreciated。　　　　　　　　　　　Address　263…S；　Tribune　Office。

He　had　decided　to　wait　until　after　lunch　before　calling　at　the　newspaper　office　for　replies　to　his　advertisement；　but　during　breakfast　it　occurred　to　him　there　probably　would　be　several　alert　prospective　employers　who　would　despatch　their　replies　by　special　messengers；　and　realizing　that　promptness　was　one　of　the　cardinal　virtues　in　the　business　world；　Jimmy　reasoned　that　it　would　make　a　favorable　impression　were　he　to　present　himself　as　soon　as　possible　after　the　receipt　of　replies。

By　a　simple　system　of　reasoning　he　deduced　that　ten　o'clock　would　be　none　too　early　to　expect　some　returns　from　his　ad；　and　therefore　at　ten　promptly　he　presented　himself　at　the　Want　Ad　Department　in　the　Tribune　office。

Comparing　the　number　of　the　receipt　which　Jimmy　handed　him　with　the　numbers　upon　a　file　of　little　pigeonholes；　the　clerk　presently　turned　back　toward　the　counter　with　a　handful　of　letters。

〃Whew！〃　thought　Jimmy。　　〃I　never　would　have　guessed　that　I　would　receive　a　bunch　like　that　so　early　in　the　morning。〃　But　then；　as　he　saw　the　clerk　running　through　them　one　by　one；　he　realized　that　they　were　not　all　for　him；　and　as　the　young　man　ran　through　them　Jimmy's　spirits　dropped　a　notch　with　each　letter　that　was　passed　over　without　being　thrown　out　to　him；　until；　when　the　last　letter　had　passed　beneath　the　scrutiny　of　the　clerk；　and　the　advertiser　realized　that　he　had　received　no　replies；　he　was　quite　sure　that　there　was　some　error。

〃Nothing；〃　said　the　clerk；　shaking　his　head　negatively。

〃Are　you　sure　you　looked　in　the　right　compartment？〃　asked　Jimmy。

〃Sure；〃　replied　the　clerk。　　〃There　is　nothing　for　you。〃

Jimmy　pocketed　his　slip　and　walked　from　the　office。　　〃This　town　is　slower　than　I　thought　it　was；〃　he　mused。　〃'I　guess　they　do　need　some　live　wires　here　to　manage　their　business。〃

At　noon　he　returned；　only　to　be　again　disappointed；　and　then　at　two　o'clock；　and　when　he　came　in　at　four　the　same　clerk　looked　up　wearily　and　shook　his　head。

〃Nothing　for　you；〃　he　said。　　〃I　distributed　all　the　stuff　myself　since　you　were　in　last。〃

As　Jimmy　stood　there　almost　dazed　by　surprise　that　during　an　entire　day　his　ad　had　appeared　in　Chicago's　largest　newspaper；　and　he　had　not　received　one　reply；　a　man　approached　the　counter；　passed　a　slip　similar　to　Jimmy's　to　the　clerk；　and　received　fully　a　hundred　letters　in　return。　Jimmy　was　positive　now　that　something　was　wrong。

〃Are　you　sure；〃　he　asked　the　clerk；　〃that　my　replies　haven't　been　sidetracked　somewhere？　I　have　seen　people　taking　letters　away　from　here　all　day；　and　that　bird　there　just　walked　off　with　a　fistful。〃

The　clerk　grinned。　　〃What　you　advertising　for？〃　he　asked。

〃A　position；〃　replied　Jimmy。

〃That's　the　answer；〃　explained　the　clerk。　　〃That　fellow　there　was　advertising　for　help。〃




CHAPTER　IV。

JIMMY　HUNTS　A　JOB。

Once　again　Jimmy　walked　out　onto　Madison　Street；　and；　turning　to　his　right；　dropped　into　a　continuous　vaudeville　show　in　an　attempt　to　coax　his　spirits　back　to　somewhere　near　their　normal　high…water　mark。　Upon　the　next　day　he　again　haunted　the　newspaper　office　without　reward；　and　again　upon　the　third　day　with　similar　results。　To　say　that　Jimmy　was　dumfounded　would　be　but　a　futile　description　of　his　mental　state。　It　was　simply　beyond　him　to　conceive　that　in　one　of　the　largest　cities　in　the　world；　the　center　of　a　thriving　district　of　fifty　million　souls；　there　was　no　business　man　with　sufficient　acumen　to　realize　how　badly　he　needed　James　Torrance；　Jr。；　to　conduct　his　business　for　him　successfully。

With　the　close　of　the　fourth　day；　and　no　reply；　Jimmy　was　thoroughly　exasperated。　The　kindly　clerk；　who　by　this　time　had　taken　a　personal　interest　in　this　steadiest　of　customers；　suggested　that　Jimmy　try　applying　for　positions　advertised　in　the　Help　Wanted　column；　and　this　he　decided　to　do。

There　were　only　two　concerns　advertising　for　general　managers　in　the　issue　which　Jimmy　scanned；　one　ad　called　for　an　experienced　executive　to　assume　the　general　management　of　an　old　established　sash；　door　and　blind　factory；　the　other　insisted　upon　a　man　with　mail…order　experience　to　take　charge　of　the　mail…order　department　of　a　large　department　store。

Neither　of　these　were　precisely　what　Jimmy　had　hoped　for；　his　preference　really　being　for　the　general　management　of　an　automobile　manufactory　or　possibly　something　in　the　airplane　line。　Sash；　door　and　blind　sounded　extremely　prosaic　and　uninteresting　to　Mr。　Torrance。　The　mail…order　proposition；　while　possibly　more　interesting；　struck　him　as　being　too　trifling　and　unimportant。

〃However；〃　he　thought；　〃it　will　do　no　harm　to　have　a　talk　with　these　people；　and　possibly　I　might　even　consider　giving　one　of　them　a　trial。〃

And　so；　calling　a　taxi；　he　drove　out　onto　the　west　side　where；　in　a　dingy　and　squalid　neighborhood；　the　taxi　stopped　in　front　of　a　grimy　unpainted　three…story　brick　building；　from　which　a　great　deal　of　noise　and　dust　were　issuing。　Jimmy　found　the　office　on　the　second　floor；　after　ascending　a　narrow；　dark；　and　dirty　stairway。　Jimmy's　experience　of　manufacturing　plants　was　extremely　limited；　but　he　needed　no　experience　as　he　entered　the　room　to　see　that　he　was　in　a　busy　office　of　a　busy　plant。　Everything　about　the　office　was　plain　and　rather　dingy；　but　there　were　a　great　many　file　clerks　and　typists　and　considerable　bustling　about。

After　stating　his　business　to　a　young　lady　who　sat　behind　a　switchboard；　upon　the　front　of　which　was　the　word　〃Information；〃　and　waiting　while　she　communicated　with　an　inner　office　over　the　telephone；　he　was　directed　in　the　direction　of　a　glass　partition　at　the　opposite　end　of　the　rooma　partition　in　which　there　were　doors　at　intervals；　and　upon　each　door　a　name。