the efficiency expert-第5部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


pretty　sure　that　I　can　at　least　get　a　job　as　office…boy。〃

And　so　he　presented　himself　to　the　office　manager　of　a　life…insurance　company　that　had　advertised　such　a　vacancy。　A　very　kindly　gentleman　interviewed　him。

〃What　experience　have　you　had？〃　he　asked。

Jimmy　looked　at　him　aghast。

〃Do　I　have　to　have　experience　to　be　an　office…boy？〃　he　asked。

〃Well；　of　course；〃　replied　the　gentleman；　〃it　is　not　essential；　but　it　is　preferable。　I　already　have　applications　from　a　dozen　or　more　fellows；　half　of　whom　have　had　experience；　and　one　in　particular；　whom　I　have　about　decided　to　employ；　held　a　similar　position　with　another　life…insurance　company。〃

Jimmy　rose。　　〃Good　day；〃　he　said；　and　walked　out。

That　day　he　ate　no　lunch；　but　he　had　discovered　a　place　where　an　abundance　might　be　had　for　twenty…five　cents　if　one　knew　how　to　order　and　ordered　judiciously。　And　so　to　this　place　he　repaired　for　his　dinner。　Perched　upon　a　high　stool；　he　filled　at　least　a　corner　of　the　aching　void　within。

Sitting　in　his　room　that　night　he　took　account　of　his　assets　and　his　liabilities。　His　room　rent　was　paid　until　Saturday　and　this　was　Thursday；　and　in　his　pocket　were　one　dollar　and　sixty　cents。　Opening　his　trunk；　he　drew　forth　a　sheet　of　paper　and　an　envelope；　and；　clearing　the　top　of　the　rickety　little　table　which　stood　at　the　head　of　his　bed；　he　sat　down　on　the　soiled　counterpane　and　wrote　a　letter。


　　　　　　　DEAR　DAD：

　　　　　　　I　guess　I'm　through；　　I　have　tried　and　　　　　　　　　failed。　　It　is　hard　to　admit　it；　but　I　guess　I'll　　　　　　　　　have　to。　　If　you　will　send　me　the　price　I'll　　　　　　　　　come　home。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　With　love；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Jim



Slowly　he　folded　the　letter　and　inserted　it　in　the　envelope；　his　face　mirroring　an　utter　dejection　such　as　Jimmy　Torrance　had　never　before　experienced　in　his　life。

〃Failure；〃　he　muttered；　〃unutterable　failure。〃

Taking　his　hat；　he　walked　down　the　creaking　stairway；　with　its　threadbare　carpet；　and　out　onto　the　street　to　post　his　letter。




CHAPTER　V。

JIMMY　LANDS　ONE。

Miss　Elizabeth　Compton　sat　in　the　dimly　lighted　library　upon　a　deep…cushioned；　tapestried　sofa。　She　was　not　alone；　yet　although　there　were　many　comfortable　chairs　in　the　large　room；　and　the　sofa　was　an　exceptionally　long　one；　she　and　her　companion　occupied　but　little　more　space　than　would　have　comfortably　accommodated　a　single　individual。

〃Stop　it；　Harold；〃　she　admonished。　　〃I　utterly　loathe　being　mauled。〃

〃But　I　can't　help　it；　dear。　　It　seems　so　absolutely　wonderful！　　I　can't　believe　itthat　you　are　really　mine。〃

〃But　I'm　notyet！〃　exclaimed　the　girl。

〃There　are　a　lot　of　formalities　and　bridesmaids　and　ministers　and　things　that　have　got　to　be　taken　into　consideration　before　I　am　yours。　And　anyway　there　is　no　necessity　for　mussing　me　up　so。　You　might　as　well　know　now　as　later　that　I　utterly　loathe　this　cave…man　stuff。　And　really；　Harold；　there　is　nothing　about　your　appearance　that　suggests　a　cave…man；　which　is　probably　one　reason　that　I　like　you。〃

〃Like　me？〃　exclaimed　the　young　man。　　〃I　thought　you　loved　me。〃

〃I　have　to　like　you　in　order　to　love　you；　don't　I？〃　she　parried。　　〃And　one　certainly　has　to　like　the　man　she　is　going　to　marry。〃

〃Well；　grumbled　Mr。　Bince；　〃you　might　be　more　enthusiastic　about　it。〃

〃I　prefer；〃　explained　the　girl；　〃to　be　loved　decorously。　　I　do　not　care　to　be　pawed　or　clawed　or　crumpled。　After　we　have　been　married　for　fifteen　or　twenty　years　and　are　really　well　acquainted〃

〃Possibly　you　will　permit　me　to　kiss　you；〃　Bince　finished　for　her。

〃Don't　be　silly；　Harold；〃　she　retorted。　　〃You　have　kissed　me　so　much　now　that　my　hair　is　all　down；　and　my　face　must　be　a　sight。　Lips　are　what　you　are　supposed　to　kiss　withyou　don't　have　to　kiss　with　your　hands。〃

〃Possibly　I　was　a　little　bit　rough。　　I　am　sorry；〃　apologized　the　young　man。　〃But　when　a　fellow　has　just　been　told　by　the　sweetest　girl　in　the　world　that　she　will　marry　him；　it's　enough　to　make　him　a　little　bit　crazy。〃

〃Not　at　all；〃　rejoined　Miss　Compton。　　〃We　should　never　forget　the　stratum　of　society　to　which　we　belong；　and　what　we　owe　to　the　maintenance　of　the　position　we　hold。　My　father　has　always　impressed　upon　me　the　fact　that　gentlemen　or　gentlewomen　are　always　gentle…folk　under　any　and　all　circumstances　and　conditions。　I　distinctly　recall　his　remark　about　one　of　his　friends；　whom　he　greatly　admired；　to　this　effect：　that　he　always　got　drunk　like　a　gentleman。　Therefore　we　should　do　everything　as　gentle…folk　should　do　things；　and　when　we　make　love　we　should　make　love　like　gentlefolk；　and　not　like　hod…carriers　or　cavemen。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　young　man；　〃I'll　try　to　remember。〃

It　was　a　little　after　nine　o'clock　when　Harold　Bince　arose　to　leave。

〃I'll　drive　you　home；〃　volunteered　the　girl。　　〃Just　wait；　and　I'll　have　Barry　bring　the　roadster　around。〃

〃I　thought　we　should　always　do　the　things　that　gentle…folk　should　do；〃　said　Bince；　grinning；　after　being　seated　safely　in　the　car。　They　had　turned　out　of　the　driveway　into　Lincoln　Parkway。

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　asked　Elizabeth。

〃Is　it　perfectly　proper　for　young　ladies　to　drive　around　the　streets　of　a　big　city　alone　after　dark？〃

〃But　I'm　not　alone；〃　she　said。

〃You　will　be　after　you　leave　me　at　home。〃

〃Oh；　well；　I'm　different。〃

〃And　I'm　glad　that　you　are！〃　exclaimed　Bince　fervently。　　〃I　wouldn't　love　you　if　you　were　like　the　ordinary　run。〃

Bince　lived　at　one　of　the　down…town　clubs；　and　after　depositing　him　there　and　parting　with　a　decorous　handclasp　the　girl　turned　her　machine　and　headed　north　for　home。　At　Erie　Street　came　a　sudden　loud　hissing　of　escaping　air。

〃Darn！〃　exclaimed　Miss　Elizabeth　Compton　as　she　drew　in　beside　the　curb　and　stopped。　Although　she　knew　perfectly　well　that　one　of　the　tires　was　punctured；　she　got　out　and　walked　around　in　front　as　though　in　search　of　the　cause　of　the　disturbance；　and　sure　enough；　there　it　was；　flat　as　a　pancake；　the　left　front　tire。

There　was　an　extra　wheel　on　the　rear　of　the　roadster；　but　it　was　heavy　and　cumbersome；　and　the　girl　knew　from　experience　what　a　dirty　job　changing　a　wheel　is。　She　had　just　about　decided　to　drive　home　on　the　rim；　when　a　young　man　crossed　the　walk　from　Erie　Street　and　joined　her　in　her　doleful　appraisement　of　the　punctured　casing。

〃Can　I　help　you　any？〃　he　asked。

She　looked　up　at　him。　　〃Thank　you；〃　she　replied；　〃but　I　think　I'll　drive　home　on　it　as　it　is。　They　can　change　it　there。〃

〃It　looks　like　a　new　casing；〃　he　said。　　〃It　would　be　too　bad　to　ruin　it。　If　you　have　a　spare　I　will　be　very　glad　to　change　it　for　you；〃　and　without　waiting　for　her　acquiescence　he　stripped　off　his　coat；　rolled　up　his　shirt…sleeves；　and　dove　under　the　seat　for　the　jack。

Elizabeth　Compton　was　about　to　protest；　but　there　was　something　about　the　way　in　which　the　stranger　went　at　the　job　that　indicated　that　he　would　probably　finish　it　if　he　wished　to；　in　spite　of　any　arguments　she　could　advance　to　the　contrary。　As　he　worked　she　talked　with　him；　discovering　not　only　that　he　was　a　rather　nice　person　to　look　at；　but　that　he　was　equally　nice　to　talk　to。

She　could　not　help　but　notice　that　his　clothes　were　rather　badly　wrinkled　and　that　his　shoes　were　dusty　and　well　worn；　for　when　he　kneeled　in　the　street　to　operate　the　jack　the　sole　of　one　shoe　was　revealed　beneath　the　light　of　an　adjacent　arc；　and　she　saw　that　it　was　badly　worn。　Evidently　he　was　a　poor　young　man。

She　had　observed　these　things　almost　unconsciously；　and　yet　they　made　their　impression　upon　her；　so　that　when　he　had　finished　she　recalled　them；　and　was　emboldened　thereby　to　offer　him　a　bill　in　payment　for　his　services。　He　refused；　as　she　had　almost　expected　him　to　do；　for　while　his　clothes　and　his　shoes　suggested　that　he　might　accept　a　gratuity；　his　voice　and　his　manner　belied　them。

During　the　operation　of　changing　the　wheel　the　young　man　had　a　good　opportunity　to　appraise　the　face　and　figure　of　the　girl；　both　of　which　he　found　entirely　to　his　liking；　and　when　finally　she　started　off；　after　thanking　him；　he　stood　upon　the　curb　watching　the　car　until　it　disappeared　from　view。

Slowly　he　drew　from　his　pocket　an　envelope　which　had　been　addressed　and　stamped　for　mailing；　and　very　carefully　tore　it　into　small　bits　which　he　dropped　into　the　gutter。　He　could　not　have　told　had　any　one　asked　him　what　prompted　him　to　the　act。　A　girl　had　come　into　his　life　for　an　instant；　and　had　gone　out　again；　doubtless　forever；　and　yet　in　that　instant　Jimmy　Torrance　had　taken　a　new　grasp　upon　his　self…esteem。

It　might　have　been　the　girl；　and　again　it　might　not　have　been。　　He　could　not　tell。　Possibly　it　was　the　simple　little　act　of　refusing　the　tip　she　had　proffered　him。　It　might　have　been　any　one　of　a　dozen　little　different　things；　or　an　accumulation　of　them　all；　that　had　brought　back　a　sudden　flood　of　the　old　self…confidence　and　optimism。

〃To…morrow；〃　said　Jimmy　as　he　climbed　into　his　bed；　〃I　am　going　to　land　a　job。〃

And　he　did。　　In　the　department　store　to　the　general　managership　of　whose　mail…order　department　he　had　aspired　Jimmy　secured　a　position　in　the　hosiery　department　at　ten　dollars　a　week。　The　department　buyer　who　had　interviewed　him　asked　him　what　experience　he　had　had　with　ladies'　hosiery。

〃About　four　or　five　years；〃　replied　Jimmy。

〃For　whom　did　you　work？〃

〃I　was　in　business　for　myself；〃　replied　the　applicant；　〃both　in　the　West　and　in　the　East。　I　got　my　first　experience　in　a　small　town　in　Nebraska；　but　I　carried　on　a　larger　business　in　the　East　later。〃

So　they　gave　Jimmy　a　trial　in　a　new　section　of　the　hosiery　department；　wherein　he　was　the　only　male　clerk。　The　buyer　had　discovered　that　there　was　a　sufficient　proportion　of　male　customers；　many　of　whom　displayed　evident　embarrassment　in　purchasing　hosiery　from　young　ladies；　to　warrant　putting　a　man　clerk　in　one　of　the　sections　for　this　class　of　trade。

The　fact　of　the　matter　was；　however；　that　the　astute　buyer　was　never　able　to　determine　the　wisdom　of　his　plan；　since　Jimmy's　entire　time　was　usually　occupied　in　waiting　upon　impressionable　young　ladies。　However；　inasmuch　as　it　redounded　to　the　profit　of　the　department；　the　buyer　found　no　fault。

Possibly　if　Jimmy　had　been　almost　any　other　type　of　man　from　what　he　was；　his　presence　would　not　have　been　so　f