Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 28, 1928 — page 6: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

436 clerk to write to the president of Atlas, and Barry Rand was confident that he would find a pink dismissal slip in his pay envelope on Saturday night. But there was none, and on Monday morn- ing he found a memo asking him to ap- pear at Hamilton’s office as soon as he arrived. Now he waited anxiously, for there could be only two reasons for the in- terview having been granted: either Hamilton had sent for him merely to put into words his opinion of an impu- dent young puppy, or else—something worth while to do. Presently the buzzer on the secre- tary’s desk rang. She looked up at Rand and smiled. “Mr. Hamilton will see you now,” she told him. Rand got up from his chair, and, with a nervous jerk at his tie, entered the private sanctum of the head of the firm. Hamilton sat at a great flat- topped desk looking through some pa- pers. He scarcely glanced at Rand as he came in, but indicated a chair beside his desk. Rand sat down and waited. From the pile of papers in front of him Hamilton finally drew Rand’s let- ter. He leaned back and reread it. Then he peered at Rand from be- neath his shaggy eyebrows. “You wrote this?” he asked sharply. Rand nodded. “You say here that you have cour- age,” said Hamilton, a faint smile hov- ering on his lips. “ I don’t know about courage, but you certainly have plenty of nerve.” “Tt was not meant as an imperti- nence, sir.” “Ummm.” Hamilton glanced at the letter again. “ You say you are fitted for a better position than the one you now hold. Have you had any special sort of education? Technical ?” “No, sir, but—” “‘ Been to a business school?” “é No.” “hen, what are your special quali- fications?” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Rand leaned eagerly forward in his chair. “Look here, sir. I haven’t had any special sort of training, that’s true; but I have got energy and determination and courage. I’m not boasting, Mr. Hamilton. I’ve had the opportunity to prove that to myself time and time again. — “T was an officer in the flying corps during the war. I saw two years of active service and I’ve been in a dozen tight places. I want to capitalize those attributes.” Hamilton looked at the younger man shrewdly. “Why not put some of this energy into your present position. We all had to start at the bottom.” Rand laughed. “That’s what all men in your place say. But when you started in the in- surance business it was a virgin field. What chance has a young man to-day? All the big opportunities have been taken. “ What I want is to get something to do in your firm that will give me a chance to show that I can be worth something to you. “Why, Mr. Hamilton, the second week I was here I knew all there was to know about the routine of being a filing clerk. It doesn’t require a great deal of intelligence.”’ “T notice you didn’t say anything about intelligence in your letter,” re- marked Hamilton dryly. Rand blushed. “TI had thought,” he said, “that I might be able to do something in your investigation department.” “ That requires training.” “Tm willing to learn, sir.”’ “ My dear boy,” said Hamilton, “ we haven’t time to train our investigators. They come to us already equipped. Quite frankly, I don’t see that there is any place for you in Atlas.” * ‘You mean that I’m fired?” Hamilton leaned back, the tips of his fingers together. COMMICLOOOKS (C@