“Hello there, young man! What can I do for you?”
“I want you to give me a job,” said Herbert simply.
This reply seemed to amaze the editor, for he laid down his pen, pushed back his chair, and placing his feet on the desk before him, looked at Herbert with a good-natured smile. It seemed almost a minute before he spoke. When he did it was to say:
“So you want a job, do you? Well, that’s a laudable ambition; but I am afraid you have come to the wrong place.”
Noah Brooks looked at Herbert again before replying, and then moving slightly and raising the index finger of his right hand, he pointed to the rear of the room and said:
Herbert looked around and saw a man engaged in setting type, while a boy with a great big ink roller in one hand was engaged in taking a proof of a circular that was about to be printed.
“Yes sir,” he answered obediently; “I see them.”
“Well, do you know,” said the old gentleman with a chuckle, “that about all those two fellows do is to sit around and wait for Saturday night in order to draw their salaries.”
The humor of this seemed to appeal to the speaker so strongly that he had to pause and engage in a hearty laugh before proceeding. The man and the boy did not appear to be offended. On the contrary, they laughed too, as if they were accustomed to the good-natured jests of their employer.
“I am very sorry,” said Herbert, breaking the silence; “but I was really anxious to get employment on this paper--I have long wished to enter the newspaper business.”
“Is that so? Do you know anything about the business?”
“No,” said Herbert; “I am entirely ignorant of it; but I felt that I could learn.”
“That’s the way to talk,” was the hearty reply. “The only way to learn to do a thing is to do it. I think you would pan out all right in an office of this kind; but I am sorry to say we have no opening at the present time.”
Herbert said “Good-by” quietly; but once out of the building he felt very much depressed at his failure to secure a situation. He did not tell his mother of his adventure, not wishing to annoy her with anything that was not of a cheerful nature. During the next few months he managed to earn a small amount of money by odd bits of employment that were furnished to him through Horace Coke, the lawyer; but as he had no taste for the law he did not feel very much encouraged over this occasional work. His mind still dwelt upon the newspaper business.