Listening story by National Canvas Goods

Story title: Listening
By: National Canvas Goods

        A group of applicants in a steamship office were waiting to be interviewed for a job as wireless operator. The room was filled with such a buzz of conversation that they paid no attention to the dots and
and dashes which began coming over the loudspeaker. Then in came a newcomer who sat down quietly by himself. Suddenly, he snapped to attention, walked into the private office and came out smiling.
   "Say, " one of the crowd called out, "how'd you get in ahead of us? we were here first."
    "One of you would have got the job," he answered, " if you had listened to the message from the loudspeaker."
    "What message?" they asked, surprised.
    :"Why, the code." the stranger said. "It said: 'The man I want must always be alert. The first man who gets this message and comes into my office will be placed on one of my ships as radio operator.""