Corporal Cameron

en it to him. "Ah! you have just arrived from the old land," he said, a smile of genial welcome illuminating his handsome

anker rose to his splendid height of six feet

name

ir," said t

ow, then, Mr. Cameron, I hope we shall be able to do something for you, both for the sake of my old friend, Sir

ow, business first is my mo

ish to make a deposit. I have a draft of one hundred

nker, touching a button, "my

y, the loneliest in my life, and so my heart warms to the stranger from the old land. Yes," continued Mr. Ritchie, in a reminiscent tone, "I remember well! I hired as errand boy and general factotum to a small grocer down nea

e vaguest kind," said Camer

mean, what has been the

through Edinburgh Academy, also the University, with the ex

r thoughtfully. "No

ef period of three or four months in t

ersonally to-day, and if you call to-morrow at ten I hope to have news for you. Meantime, I shall be pleased to have you l

pressed hi

Mr. Ritchie, "whe

oyal," sa

viting you to our home. The truth is, Mrs. Ritchie is at present out of the city. But we shall find some s

er of introduction from Mr. Ritchie, presented himself at Mr. Denman's office. Mr. Denman was a man in young middle life, athletic of frame, kee

hat is your idea? What kin

meron, "that is just

University man, I believe? But have you had an

for an office. I was in a la

accounting? I suppose you can't run

lines of effort Cameron was

country people seriously annoy me with

meron, "the fault is more

"I have had scores of young men, fine young men, too, come to me; public s

work in a law office. Now," Mr. Denman spoke with some hesitation; "I

f the law; in fact, I do not think I am suited for office work.

an. "Ah!-you would, I suppose

Cameron,

t! You would not earn enough to buy

ied Cameron, "that furth

w they are booming town lots all over the land. I believe they have gone quite mad in the business, but f

eing dispelled-his vision of himself as a wealthy rancher, ranging over square miles of h

nching, I believ

Rockies, but that is out of civilization;

eron, his face once more aglow with eager

ive man for a closer fellowship with Mother Nature. He was keenly practical, and impa

, if you have a bank account to stand it, although some fellows stand it on someone's else bank account-not much to their credit, however. There is a young friend of mine out there at present, but from what I can gather his home correspondence is mainly confined to appeals for

Cameron. "There will be n

firm, closed lips and

d. "No, there is no chance in r

ems closed up except to the capitalist, and yet from what I hea

"Every last one is opened to a man who knows his business. See those smokestacks! Every last wheel in those factories

gs?" inquired Cameron, point

actically the same thing. I say! What is the matter with trying the Transportation

Cameron. "I mean to say just wh

enman. "Why, general

rough his mind the story of Fleming's career; a vision of the half-starved ragged waif who started as messenger boy in the company's offices, and who, by dint of invincible determination and resolute self-denial, fought his way step by step to his present position of co

length. "I shall give yo

his desk and wr

and see wh

dress, read, Wm. Fleming, Esquire, General Manag

ailroad?" as

d Mr. Denman, calling Cameron back again from the door, "see Mr. Fleming himself. Remember that! And remember," he added, with a smile, "the position of manager is not

om it! That chap has had things done for him ever since he was first bathed; they have washed 'em, dressed 'em, fed 'em, schooled 'em, found 'em positions, stuck 'em in, and watched that they did

e various accomplishments that Mr. Denman seemed to consider essential; he had no experience in business, he was not fit for office work-office work he loathed; but surely there was some position where his talents would bring him recognition and fortune at last. After all, Mr. Denman was only a Colonial, and with a Colonial's somewhat narrow view of life. Who was he to criticise the system of training that

l. Should he ever be able to forget the agony of that moment and of the day that followed? And yet, he need not have failed. He knew he could play his position with any man in Scotland; he had failed because he was not fit. He set his

f an able-bodied man of average intelligence. In Edinburgh a "writing machine" was still something of a new-fangled luxury, to be apologised for. Mr. Rae would allow no such finicky instrument in his office. Here, however, there were a dozen, more or less, manipulated for the most part by young ladies, and some of them actually by men; on every side they clicked and banged. It may have been the clicking and banging of these machines that gave

the office of Messrs. Rae & Macpherson, where prompt attention and deferential courtesy in a clerk were as essential as a suit of

s this Mr. Fle

hum of voices ceased. Everywhere heads were raised

onation of this syllabic inquiry, and no wor

to see him!" Cameron's vo

however, and redeemed to a certain extent by black eyes of extraordinary brilliance, "it is the Prince of Wales!"

Highlander takes with calm. He is prepared to deal with it in a manner affording him entire satisfaction

stood scanning him with calm indifference. The rage that possessed him s

Jimmy,

" but toward

a tone of brisk impertinence, as

a letter

mmy, fully conscious that he was t

made towards a door at the farther end of the room. As he passed a desk that stood nearest the door, a man who during the last few minutes had remaine

sumed an air of re

r Mr. Flemin

the man, stretch

glanced throu

no vacancy at prese

with cheerful politeness. The

y as if his attention were immediately demanded elsewhere by pres

er that barred his way, and started up the long room

aid, his voice trembling slightly, his

desk looked u

at present," he said testily, and turned to hi

n?" said Cameron in a voice that had grown q

om his desk and revealing himself a short, pudgy figure, with flabby face a

Bates? Someon

wards the speaker, who ha

rom Mr. Denman," he said quietly; "i

Why was not this brought

I thought there was no need of troubling you, Sir.

hould have been brought to me at once. Why w

bout not wishing to disturb th

n future, when any man asks to see me

began to

r. Bates," said the manager, in a

on. I am very sorry

n Mr. Bates' pudgy face, and catching a look of fierce hate from his small piggy eyes

s that Mr. Cameron was to have a position in the office of the Metropolita

ad apparently quite recovered his equani

exactly," he added, turning to

companied Came

ittle difficult-he is something of a driver-but, remember, he

he should obey Mr. Bates' orders, if only to show the general man

elf. In the policy that governed the office there were two rules which Mr. Bates enforced with the utmost rigidity-the first, namely, that every member of the staff must be in his or her place and ready for work when the clock struck eight; the other, that each member of the staff must work independently of every other member. A man must know his business, and go through with it; if he required instructions, he must apply to the office manager. But, as a rule, one exp

observation of the flight of time. It did not disturb him, therefore, to notice as he strolled into the offices of the Metropolitan Transportation & Cartage Company the next morning that the hands of the clock showed six

ning, Sir

a sentence, looked up, and

behind the door, yonder!" he said with em

s desk he observed the pleased sm

f this office," continued Mr. Bates when Cam

t was eight! Ah! I see! I believe I am five minutes late

five minutes; every minute of your office hours is pledged to the company, and every minute has its own proper work. Your desk is the one next Mr. Jacobs, yonder. Y

ied Cameron. "I sh

plied Mr. Bates, plunging hi

every expression of disappointment. A mo

ed to his desk. "If you should chance to be late again, nev

iderate, as if he were anxious to sav

n!" stammered Cam

Mr. Bates, his nose o

ye fell upon the boy, Jimmy, wh

at if I am late you d

ely explosive that it appeared to th

peated his

In case you should inadvertently be late again, you need not take the trouble to go to your desk; just come here. Your cheque

but it had grown somewhat in intensity; the last se

ding nothing to reply, he turned about to behold Jimmy and his lanky friend executin

the extreme disappointment of Jimmy and the lanky youth, who

nd clicked with the rapid fire of the typewriters. Suddenly through t

Jac

esk, and began in a confused and gentle voice to explai

es, "I cannot hear you, an

me how to make these

not yet lost the power of lucid speech. Mr. Jacobs, I believe you k

r. Jacobs, hurriedl

to me, I shall do my best to enlighten you in regard t

of freight bills, and started for Mr. Bates' desk, catching out of the corner of his eye th

ged, but Mr. Bates was skilled in the fine art of reducing to abject humility an employee w

dger, Sir!" he

in his writing, while the redoubled vigor and caution of the pantomime seemed to indicate the approach of a c

this kind of work, Mr. Camero

l just explain one or tw

ever, a business college!

ded the office. Mr. Bat

ect-but may I inquire just what departm

gen

nager, however, is filled at pr

e Jimmy and his friend resigned t

d and deliberate, "that I had been employed with

No use here!" said Mr. Bates

means a lawyer!"

Well! Well!" getting hold of himself again. "Here we allow our solic

eron. "Typewrite? Do you mean, c

For heaven'

I can

okk

N

es of himself, in a tone, however, perfectly a

by, including Cameron, was inaudible to the manager. Mr. Bates caught the sound, however, and glared about him through

tters. "File these letters. You will be able to

om them to Mr. Bates' bald head, that gentleman's face b

bout this?-I mean,

meron how to file these letters! Just like these blank old-country chumps!

at had been accumulating for the last hour in Cameron's soul. Instead of following the boy, he turned with a swift movement back to

e was very quiet. But Mr. Bates started back with a

et out of th

on, "if you did, I must as

ff, even Jimmy's face assumed a serious

uttered. "Get out of t

his hands gripping Mr. B

an!" cried Mr. Bates,

Bates clear over the top of his desk, shook him till his head wobbled dangerously, and flung

Mr. Bates, who was struggling meantime with

lked quietly to where

d him!" shouted Mr. Bate

ned fiercel

t me, Sir?"

nce that his feet slid from under him, and

Cameron, "and

and stood, whi

nners. You have treated me this morning like the despicable bully that you are. Perhaps you will treat the n

ing the door wide open, bowed him out as if he were indeed the Prince of Wales. Thus abruptly ended Cameron's connection with the Metro

was surprised to have

ess! Upon my soul! Your manner of entry into our commercial lif

as all gone; in the calm light of after-th

nman," he replied, "and I

h to get a job anywhere in this town, you will need to

e is, Sir; but, of course,

ght to have thrown you out of his of

and down Mr. Denman

so, Sir," he sa

nman, grasping the arm

our office who was trying his best to understand his

d w

know a gentlema

was not to

lthy thing for you to have cut up any such shine in this office. I h

o," said Cameron, with sl

ve, eh!

sh Internat

r. Denman, his tone expressing a new ad

ear, Sir-ag

boy! Any man who has made the Scottish Internationals i

ok Cameron war

ort. If Bates only knew it, he ought to count it an hono

is only a little chap; I just gave him a bit of a shake," and Ca

was hugel

enthusiastically. "But what's to do now? They will b

one with offices; I m

be it! It will probably be safer for you