PRIVATE SECRETARY TO A MILLIONAIRE--STUDYING AT EVENING SCHOOL--LIVING
AMID ELEGANT SURROUNDINGS.
IT was now September. Archie had been in New York the whole summer
through, attending carefully to his work on the Evening Enterprise, and
continuing his study of stenography. He had taken occasional trips to
Long Branch and Asbury Park on Saturday afternoons, but every other day
he spent in working up ideas for the paper, and each evening he devoted
to the shorthand school. By this time, though, he felt that he knew all
that was necessary of shorthand, and found himself more free to go about
in the evenings. He visited his friends more frequently, and sometimes
spent whole evenings in studying works on English literature, for he was
ambitious to know more of the great work he had decided to make his own.
This study was not really work to him, for his interest in everything
connected with literature was so great that he found a pleasure in
reading even the most classical books on the subject, and of course so
much reading of this sort did a great deal to educate his mind along
this line of work.
One evening in the early fall, Archie decided to accept the invitation
of Mr. Depaw, the railway president, to call. So he carefully dressed
himself in the best he had, and walked up Fifth Avenue and into the side
street where the great man had his home. He rang the bell and presented
his card, and waited in the drawing-room for an answer. The footman was
gone but a moment, and returning, announced that the family would be
down directly. Archie was very much pleased that he was to meet the
entire family, and looked about him with great interest at the elegant
furnishings of the room in which he sat. He couldn’t help thinking how
lovely it must be to have so many books, so many pictures, and so many
works of art of every kind. The boy thought then that he would like to
be a wealthy man, just to be able to gratify his desires for beautiful
things.
He had to wait only a short time before the genial Mr. Depaw entered the
room, accompanied by several members of the family. Archie was greeted
very warmly, and introduced to every one, and then they immediately
began an animated conversation, in which Archie soon found himself
taking an active part, much to his surprise. He felt that he had
never before realised what a great gift it is to be able to talk
entertainingly, and this evening was a revelation to him in the ways of
good society. He found that every one was much interested in the story
of his adventures, and he talked more about them than for a long time
past. He was now beginning to feel that his Philippine experiences were
an old story, but he learned that they were quite as entertaining as
ever to these people. But they did not talk entirely about Archie. They
realised that this would be embarrassing to him, and they were careful
to guide the conversation into a discussion of music and literature, and
whatever else they imagined him to like. And so it was that the evening
passed very quickly, and it was time to leave before he knew it. Then he
was asked to be sure to call again, and Mr. Depaw, as he accompanied
him to the door, requested him to call at his office on the following
Wednesday, if possible. Archie promised, and walked home down the
avenue, wondering what it could be that Mr. Depaw wanted to talk to him
about. He didn’t worry long about it, however, but went home and to
bed as quickly as possible, for he had formed a habit of rising at six
o’clock in the morning to study.
The days passed quickly until Wednesday, and the afternoon of that day
found Archie in the waiting-room of Mr. Depaw’s office. He had not long
to sit there after sending in his card, for the busy man received him as
soon as he could get rid of his present visitor. He shook Archie warmly
by the hand as he entered, and then, pulling two chairs together, they
sat down. “I have been thinking for some time,” said Mr. Depaw, “that
I need a sort of private secretary. Of course I have men here at the
office who take dictation from me, and who fulfil the duties of a
secretary to a certain extent, but I want a young man who can attend
somewhat to my personal affairs; I want one whom I can trust, and one
who is likely to grow as he works along, so that eventually he may
be able to fill any place I may have open for him.” Then he stopped a
moment, and Archie felt his heart beating very fast beneath his coat. He
waited almost breathlessly to hear what Mr. Depaw would say next.
“Ever since I met you first,” he at last went on, “I have somehow
thought that you are the kind of a young fellow I would like. You are
ambitious, you are persevering, and you are willing to learn. You say,
too, that you know shorthand, and I know that you are a good penman. You
have seen quite a little of the world, I am sure, and I think you
can prove yourself equal to almost any occasion. The only question is
whether you will care to give up reporting for a position of this kind.
I can assure you that I will pay you as much as you are earning now, and
I shall be glad to offer you a home at my house, because I shall want
you at my right hand all the time. Do you think you will care to take
the place?”
Archie could hardly speak, it was all so wonderful, but finally he
recovered himself sufficiently to explain his hesitancy in accepting
the position. “I would like just one day,” he said, “to consult with my
friends on the newspaper. You see Mr. Jennings and Mr. Van Bunting have
been very good to me, and I shouldn’t care to leave them now if they
object very strongly.”
“That’s quite right, quite right,” said Mr. Depaw. “I can appreciate
your feelings, and you can tell the editor that you will have some time
for writing, and that you will contribute occasional articles to his
paper.” Archie was now delighted. “Oh, thank you,” he cried. “I am sure
I can come now.”
“Well, come in at this time to-morrow,” said Mr. Depaw, “and let me know
what you have decided to do.”
Archie hurried at once to Mr. Jennings’s office to tell him the good
news. He wondered how his friend would take it, but all his fears
were soon put at rest. “Archie,” said Mr. Jennings, “this is the best
opportunity you can ever have to improve yourself in every way. Mr.
Depaw is a man highly respected all over the country, and a man who is
known to be extraordinary in many ways. Association with such a man will
do more for you than four years in college, and you will make a mistake
if you do not accept his offer. Of course we shall all be sorry to lose
you here, but, as Mr. Depaw says, you will have some time for writing,
and we hope you will always continue to do some work for us.”
Archie could almost have thrown his arms about Mr. Jennings’s neck to
hug him for his splendid feeling, and when, a little later, Mr. Van
Bunting said practically the same thing, he felt that he had never known
two such men. He assured them both that he would never forget them, but
would try and spend as much time as possible in the Enterprise office.
The next day he called again on Mr. Depaw, and told him of his decision
to accept the place, and the good man seemed overjoyed. “I will see that
you never forget it, Archie,” he said. It was arranged for him to begin
work the very next day. “You can transfer your things to my house as
soon as you like, for your room is waiting for you, and I will begin
to-morrow to teach you how to do things.”
And now Archie found it hard to leave the dear little room in the quaint
old square, which was looking now just as when he saw it first. The
leaves in the trees were turning brown and gold, and Archie realised
that he had been away from home more than a year. “Oh, I must go back
soon,” he said to himself, “or I shall simply die of homesickness.”
In a couple of days he was installed as a member of the Depaw household,
and he soon felt at home there. Every one was very kind to him, he was
given a handsome room, and everything seemed almost perfect. One of the
best things about it all was that he had access to the fine library,
and he longed for the long winter evenings when he could devour the many
interesting books he saw there. He was soon initiated into his work, and
it was much easier than he had expected. Mr. Depaw, of course, started
him very gradually, so that he learned as he went along. Every morning
at eight o’clock he was in the library with Mr. Depaw, taking dictation,
and receiving instructions for the day. They remained together here
until ten o’clock, when Mr. Depaw either walked or drove to his office.
Archie always accompanied him, and took charge of some of the mail
there, attending to it during the morning. Then at noon he returned to
the house, where he spent the afternoon in writing the letters which had
been dictated in the morning, and in doing various things for Mr. Depaw.
The evenings he always had to himself, and he had no difficulty in
finding enough to do at home without going out. He almost invariably
passed the evenings in reading, but occasionally he was asked to
accompany the family to some musical event at the opera house, for they
had soon learned of his love for music.
In work and study the winter passed quickly and happily for Archie, who
now felt quite at ease amid his elegant surroundings. His only wish was
that he might go home, and as spring approached Mr. Depaw promised him
that he should have a short vacation. The suggestion of Mr. Depaw that
Archie’s mother come to New York for a week was heartily accepted by
Archie, but when he wrote home Mrs. Dunn replied that she would rather
wait for Archie at home. She had never visited New York, and felt that
she wouldn’t like it.
Bill Hickson came over very often from the navy yard, and was always a
welcome visitor at Mr. Depaw’s office. He didn’t seem to care for his
work in Brooklyn, however, and Archie finally requested a place for him
about the elegant new station which the road had just constructed in the
city. Mr. Depaw very readily gave him an excellent position, one which
he could keep always if he so desired. And Bill was highly pleased
with his new work, so much so that he surprised them all one day in the
spring by leading into the once a young lady whom he introduced as his
wife. Of course Archie was very much pleased at this new development,
for he had often thought that his friend must be very lonely, living in
a boarding-house.
The days were all busy ones for Archie now. He had learned the work
so thoroughly that he was given more than ever to do, and he still
continued to write, too, for the Enterprise. He worked too hard,
however, and in April he looked so thin that Mr. Depaw sent him home for
a week’s rest.