He determined to be thorough , and he went straight into every place of business he came to , from a blacksmith 's forge to a department store , and boldly asked the first person he met if they wanted a boy there . There was , however , one class of places Chester shunned determinedly . He never went into a liquor saloon . The last winter he had been allowed to go to school in Upton , his teacher had been a pale , patient little woman who hated the liquor traffic with all her heart . She herself had suffered bitterly through it , and she instilled into her pupils a thorough aversion to it . Chester would have chosen death by starvation before he would have sought for employment in a liquor saloon . But there certainly did not seem room for him anywhere else . Nobody wanted a boy . The answer to his question was invariably `` No . '' As the day wore on , Chester 's hopes and courage went down to zero , but he still tramped doggedly about . He would be thorough , at least . Surely somewhere in this big place , where everyone seemed so busy , there must be something for him to do . Once there seemed a chance of success . He had gone into a big provision store and asked the clerk behind the counter if they wanted a boy . `` Well , we do , '' said the clerk , looking him over critically , `` but I hardly think you 'll fill the bill . However , come in and see the boss . '' He took Chester into a dark , grimy little inner office where a fat , stubby man was sitting before a desk with his feet upon it . `` Hey ? What ! '' he said when the clerk explained .
`` Looking for the XXXXX ?
bill clerk day desk everyone office pale place pupils room