“Trusting these few lines will find you the same, I remain,
“Yours truly,
“James Jordon.”
§ 74 A Start from Humble Beginnings
Mr. Campbell, who was a lawyer, felt somewhat irritated on reaching his office at 8:30 in the morning to find the fire in the grate unkindled and the floor unswept and the place generally in a state of disorder. It was nearly 9 o’clock before Ike, his black office servant, appeared.
“Good Lord, Ike,” said Mr. Campbell petulantly. “What’s detained you?”
“Mist’ Campbell,” apologized Ike, “you must please, suh, ’scuse me fur bein’ late dis one time. I sort of overslept myse’f. De truth of de matter is dat I wuz kept up de best part of de night on ’count of j’inin’ a lodge.”
“It surely didn’t take you all night to join a lodge, did it?”
“Naw, suh, not perzac’ly. De fust part of de evenin’ they wuz ’niciatin’ me into de membership an’ de rest of de time dey wuz ’onductin’ me into office.”
“Isn’t it rather unusual to confer an office on a member immediately after taking him in?”