Chicago's innumerable small hotels, and after some hesita~
tion he concluded to go in. A man he took for the pro~
prietor was standing in the lobby, and he went up to him
and tackled him for a job.

"What can you do?" the man asked.

"Anything, sir," said Jurgis, and added quickly: "I've
been out of work for a long time, sir. I'm an honest man,
and I'm strong and willing--"

The other was eying him narrowly. "Do you drink?"
he asked.

"No, sir," said Jurgis.

"Well, I've been employing a man as a porter, and he
drinks. I've discharged him seven times now, and I've
about made up my mind that's enough. Would you be a
porter?"

"Yes, sir."

"It's hard work. You'll have to clean floors and wash
spittoons and fill lamps and handle trunks--"

"I'm willing, sir."

"All right. I'll pay you thirty a month and board, and
you can begin now, if you feel like it. You can put on the
other fellow's rig."

And so Jurgis fell to work, and toiled like a Trojan till
night. Then he went and told Elzbieta, and also, late as
it was, he paid a visit to Ostrinski to let him know of his
good fortune. Here he received a great surprise, for when
he was describing the location of the hotel Ostrinski inter~
rupted suddenly, "Not Hinds's!"

"Yes," said Jurgis, "that's the name."

To which the other replied, "Then you've got the best
boss in Chicago -- he's a state organizer of our party, and
one of our best-known speakers!"

So the next morning Jurgis went to his employer and
told him; and the man seized him by the hand and shook
it. "By Jove!" he cried, "that lets me out. I didn't
sleep all last night because I had discharged a good Social~
ist!"

So, after that, Jurgis was known to his "boss" as "Com~
rade Jurgis," and in return he was expected to call him

[[380]]

p379 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p380w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p381

v?