Show 3 0 ea job lag by GO ofal WO weeks before christmas joe was elated to be offered R a new job a real posit position lon this time for five years since he was thirteen he had worked for a photographer and was earning only sixteen dollars a week it seemed to him that he would remain at that humble wage the rest of his life if he did not get out and do something right away at eighteen a boy should be making good it if he Is ever going to at lea least r t so joe thought and bilth a sick father and two younger brothers to help support he really needed more so when a competitive peti tive firm offered him twenty five dollars a week lie he jumped at the bigger opportunity and resigned his old place cut but joe was no slacker and although he be was getting through on saturday night nigh the saturday before christmas christinas and though be had to be at his new place bright and early monday morning lie he stuck by his bis post with his former employer until all the proofs were out that meant hours of slavery for in the photographic to world practically the whole years business is done between thanksgiving and christinas and everyone connected with it has to buckle down to work nights as well as days thursday friday and saturday nig lits none of the men ment to bed at all at five in the morning they would skip over to a turkish bath for a plunge and recline bedine on the divans tor for an hour but seven found them back at the studio developing drying and retouching negatives making proofs and getting them mailed to customers there can be no loafing on such a job its as all the work must be lone done to order in a short thile aluie and cannot be stocked up joe showed his pluck in sticking with the gang for the work was hard and no extra recompense went with it ne ile knew the extra work his pals would have to do it if he should quit and so for them lie ho stuck it our such Is the christmas spirit in the shops behind the scenes where christmas joy Is made for far others overnight end and tired comrades stand tn in line too courageous proud find and loving to desert pach each other though muscles ache and home ties call joe did not have to stay but did and got no extra pay except the satisfaction of it all when at ten sunday morning the work was finished at lunch time monday noon miss beechem of the studio found joe standing on a street corner arid and stopped to talk with him bilm how do you like your now place she 9 h 0 asked 1 I 1 one he said and then in answer to her further queries for joe was never over talkative he ha added the beasts 1 they said another boy had come last monday just after I 1 left there and as he could begin at once they took him on and had no place forme for me 1 ie e been to every studio in town and no one wants me now it Is too late for after christmas they have no more work I 1 dont know what ill do do exclaimed miss Me meachem echem cm do why come right back to the old studio with me where you belongs belong they need you there we ky e miss miss you terribly they cant pay you but six B 1 steen and a sure thing is better than this treachery they ARE beasts no one but miss mee chein could have ever dragged poor joe t back to his old job but false I 1 I 1 pride could never withstand her arguments a and nd a few minutes later joe was in the office 0 of ills his former employer mr lir bangs was infuriated at the abuse the boy had had bad and called his competitor on the phone to tell him what lie he thought but first he sen senta tJoe joe out to work so that the boy would not hear the complimentary things he had to say nor the abusive language that he used to his competitor then he slipped out of the studio for a few minutes and later that day there was delivered at joes door a large mysterious package plainly marked not to be opened until christmas joe did not have an increase then but his job was permanent and santa claus had delivered at his door much I 1 better things thou than ho he could have a bought himself even with the extra tra 1 pay that lie he had hoped to have Us OZ 1327 1927 western newspaper union I 1 |