Everybody's Autobiography Read Online Free PDF Page A

another captain there in the garrison. We thought that an excellent idea.
    It is remarkable how much influence one has to accomplish anything in France that is if you never expect anybody who is important to do anything for you. We found that out during the war. A general is no good he can only listen to you and make speeches to you he has no power to do anything for you because if he did every one would know about it and then everything would be all over, so the person to do it for you is a pleasant female clerk or an amiable sergeant. They can get anything done for you from extra essence to a decoration if you want it. As I explained when we wanted the red ribbon for Mildred Aldrich all the important people said they would but nothing happened but it was a woman secretary in an office who did get it for her.
    Well we know a man he is a nice man his name is George, it is not for nothing that anybody calls anybody whom they want to do anything for them George. There is something in a name. I said I was no longer sure that there is but there is something in the name of George. In any case we told our troubles to this one. When he was doing his military service he was clerk in the war office. He used to tell how every one even a general would come in and ask him if he could not get something done a little quicker for him. Well sometimes he did and sometimes he did not, it all means slipping the cards to bring one before another one, the waylibrarians do with renewal cards, the way anybody does with anything.
    George said let me see you want him to become a captain tell me more about him. George by this time was a business man and had nothing further to do with the war office or anything military, however he said tell me what you want me to do. That is what George always says and sometimes he does do something. He tells us when we should take enough money out of the bank to take us to the country for a month if there is going to be a revolution, so far there has not been any but if there was to be he would know. The only curious thing about him is that he believes in the Napoleonic dynasty. That is one of the queer things about France, you never know what anybody has as their loyalty, they just go on being republican but even so a very considerable number of them go on contributing to the king coming again or the emperor or something. George believes in the Bonapartists, I do not know why it does seem very foolish as the Bonapartists never did anything except bring disaster upon France and George loves France and does not love disaster. However we did tell him that we wanted the lieutenant to become a captain.
    George went off and after some months of waiting in which you look anxious but ask no questions and he mysteriously said wait he came and said I have had news for you, they say at the war office that he is not much good as a lieutenant, he is a war lieutenant, and cannot pass any further examinations but as a captain he would not do at all and then besides when he retired he would have to be paid a pension as a captain and now in two or three years he retires and they only have to pay his pension as a lieutenant, but said George perhaps he could go to Morocco that would be good for him he would get more money for active service and he would leave the house free. No no said we as good Americans and George went off and said nothing. A month after the proprietor wrote and said the lieutenant was going to Morocco andwas ready to sublet the house to us with his furniture for the two years he would be away, would we take it would we, we did and it was then we first saw the notary, who too has a son and in this way we came to discover that a notary’s son in France is like a minister’s son in America and whether the lieutenant’s going to Morocco was George’s doing or a coincidence we never knew, he never would tell and so we never knew.
    So the notary drew up the lease and we had the house and about six months