“I thought so,” said Willie.
“And did you understand that you were to dump the mail on my desk the way you did?”
Willie grinned. “I understood that it was important that it be done in just that way,” he said.
“Well, I’ll be hanged!” exploded the Chief. “This is really funny.” And all his bottled-up wrath effervesced in laughter. “See here,” he went on. “I guess the safest plan will be for you to inquire how to do things, each time you tackle a new task. Then you’ll get things straight.”
“I’ll do it, sir,” said Willie. “And I’ll ask one question right away. I didn’t have time to get the pens ready for your desk. How many do you want, and how do you want them?”
“Pens!” cried the Special Agent. “That’s one thing I can’t abide on my desk. I use a fountain pen. I want my desk just as it is now—as clear as possible. I’ll attend to my mail, sort it, answer it, and get it out of the way. I want my desk clear—always.”
“Thank you,” said Willie, grinning. “I think I understand a lot of things.”
The Special Agent grinned back. “I do, too,” he smiled. “Now go back to your desk and—do the best you can under the circumstances.”
Thereafter Willie got on excellently. In a few days’ time he felt quite at home in his job. His duties were simple enough. They were to do the ordinary tasks done by an ordinary office boy—to run errands, to distribute the incoming mail, to post outgoing mail, to wrap and unwrap packages, to look after the office supplies, such as pens and ink, and so on. In particular he was to receive visitors at the gate.
All the remainder of his tasks were so trivial for a boy of Willie’s ability that Willie was inclined at first greatly to underrate his job. For he did not at once comprehend the full importance, either to himself or to his employer, of this matter of inquirers. Least of all did he see at first what bearing it might have on his own fortunes. Naturally cheerful and well-mannered, Willie tried to be polite to every one who called. In that respect he was so different from his predecessor that people who were familiar with the latter at once noticed the change. Willie’s first understanding of what his conduct might mean to him came when he unwittingly overheard a conversation between his Chief and a stranger he had just conducted to the Special Agent’s office.