The insolent office boy promptly tried another line of attack. He began to question Willie, as though he were examining him for the place. But at that juncture Mr. King came bustling in. Willie was greatly relieved when the tall Special Agent stepped through the doorway. “Hello, Willie!” he cried, seeing his new helper. “Glad to see you’re on hand promptly.” Then the Special Agent turned to the big office boy. “Tom,” he said, “I wish you’d show this boy just what his duties are, before you go to your new job.” The big lad took Willie in charge and instructed him in his new duties. “You sit at this here desk,” he said, “and when anybody comes in, you see that he gets to the Chief quick. See? And you answer the buzzer when Mr. King rings. See? And you take care of his desk and his mail. See?” The lad glanced quickly round. Mr. King was not in his room. The old office boy stepped into it and beckoned to Willie. “You gotta keep the ink-wells filled and good pens on the desk. You’ll find them in that cupboard. Be sure you keep several on the desk. And when the mail comes, grab it quick and put it on the boss’s desk. Don’t do a thing to it, but put it on his desk. He don’t want anybody to monkey with his mail. And you’ll have to clean out these spittoons twice every day. About the middle of the morning and the middle of the afternoon you want to take them down-stairs to the wash-room and clean them out. See? The boss is awful particular about it.” “Where is the wash-room?” asked Willie. “The elevator man will show you. I couldn’t exactly tell you how to find it.” Just then the Special Agent came into the room and sat down at his desk. The office boy promptly withdrew, and Willie followed. The office boy gave him some further directions and disappeared. Willie sat down at his desk in the anteroom. Almost at once the buzzer sounded, startling Willie so that he fairly jumped from his chair. He stepped to the Special Agent’s desk. “Just sit down and answer the questions on this card,” said Mr. King. “This is your examination.” Willie was taken aback. “My examination?” he said. “I don’t understand.” “This is a Civil Service job you’ve got,” replied Mr. King. “You have to pass an examination before I can regularly appoint you.” Willie looked a little alarmed. “You needn’t worry,” smiled the Special Agent. “You’ve been to high school and you will have no difficulty in passing the examination.” “If this is a Civil Service post,” said Willie, “how could you discharge that other office boy so suddenly?” “Oh! I got rid of him by promoting him.” “By promoting him!” gasped Willie. “Sure. They need a boy in one of the departments here. He has to be a boy on the Civil Service list, who has had at least a little experience. They always get their boys that way. The boys start in my office and move on up.” “Then I suppose he’s glad he lost his place here.”