the efficiency expert-第5节

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te　end　of　the　rooma　partition　in　which　there　were　doors　at　intervals；　and　upon　each　door　a　name。

He　had　been　told　that　Mr。　Brown　would　see　him；　and　rapping　upon　the　door　bearing　that　name　he　was　bid　to　enter；　and　a　moment　later　found　himself　in　the　presence　of　a　middle…aged　man　whose　every　gesture　and　movement　was　charged　with　suppressed　nerve　energy。

As　Jimmy　entered　the　man　was　reading　a　letter。　　He　finished　it　quickly；　slapped　it　into　a　tray；　and　wheeled　in　his　chair　toward　his　caller。

〃Well？〃　he　snapped；　as　Jimmy　approached　him。

〃I　came　in　reply　to　your　advertisement　for　a　general　manager；〃　announced　Jimmy　confidently。

The　man　sized　him　up　quickly　from　head　to　foot。　　His　eyes　narrowed　and　his　brows　contracted。

〃What　experience　you　had？　　Who　you　been　with；　and　how　many　years？〃　　He　snapped　the　questions　at　Jimmy　with　the　rapidity　of　machine…gun　fire。

〃I　have　the　necessary　ability；〃　replied　Jimmy；　〃to　manage　your　business。〃

〃How　many　years　have　you　had　in　the　sash；　door　and　blind　business？〃　snapped　Mr。　Brown。

〃I　have　never　had　any　experience　in　the　sash；　door　and　blind　business；〃　replied　Jimmy。　〃I　didn't　come　here　to　make　sash；　doors　and　blinds。　I　came　here　to　manage　your　business。〃

Mr。　Brown　half　rose　from　his　chair。　　His　eyes　opened　a　little　wider　than　normal。　〃What　the〃　he　started；　and　then；　〃Well；　of　all　the〃　Once　again　he　found　it　impossible　to　go　on。　〃You　came　here　to　manage　a　sash；　door　and　blind　factory；　and　don't　know　anything　about　the　business！　Well；　of　all〃

〃I　assumed；〃　said　Jimmy；　〃that　what　you　wanted　in　a　general　manager　was　executive　ability；　and　that's　what　I　have。〃

〃What　you　have；〃　replied　Mr。　Brown；　〃is　a　hell　of　a　crust。　　Now；　run　along；　young　fellow。　I　am　a　very　busy　manand　don't　forget　to　close　the　door　after　you　as　you　go　out。〃

Jimmy　did　not　forget　to　close　the　door。　　As　he　walked　the　length　of　the　interminable　room　between　rows　of　desks；　before　which　were　seated　young　men　and　young　women；　all　of　whom　Jimmy　thought　were　staring　at　him；　he　could　feel　the　deep　crimson　burning　upward　from　his　collar　to　the　roots　of　his　hair。

Never　before　in　his　life　had　Jimmy's　self…esteem　received　such　a　tremendous　jolt。　He　was　still　blushing　when　he　reached　his　cab；　and　as　he　drove　back　toward　the　Loop　he　could　feel　successive　hot　waves　suffuse　his　countenance　at　each　recollection　of　the　humiliating　scene　through　which　he　had　just　passed。

It　was　not　until　the　next　day　that　Jimmy　had　sufficiently　reestablished　his　self…confidence　to　permit　him　to　seek　out　the　party　who　wished　a　mail…order　manager；　and　while　in　this　instance　he　met　with　very　pleasant　and　gentlemanly　treatment；　his　application　was　no　less　definitely　turned　down。

For　a　month　Jimmy　trailed　one　job　after　another。　　At　the　end　of　the　first　week　he　decided　that　the　street…cars　and　sole　leather　were　less　expensive　than　taxicabs；　as　his　funds　were　running　perilously　low；　and　he　also　lowered　his　aspirations　successively　from　general　managerships　through　departmental　heads；　assistants　thereto；　office　managers；　assistant　office　managers；　and　various　other　vocations；　all　with　the　same　result；　discovering　meanwhile　that　experience；　while　possibly　not　essential　as　some　of　the　ads　stated；　was　usually　the　rock　upon　which　his　hopes　were　dashed。

He　also　learned　something　else　which　surprised　him　greatly：　that　rather　than　being　an　aid　to　his　securing　employment；　his　college　education　was　a　drawback；　several　men　telling　him　bluntly　that　they　had　no　vacancies　for　rah…rah　boys。

At　the　end　of　the　second　week　Jimmy　had　moved　from　his　hotel　to　a　still　less　expensive　one；　and　a　week　later　to　a　cheap　boarding…house　on　the　north　side。　At　first　he　had　written　his　father　and　his　mother　regularly；　but　now　he　found　it　difficult　to　write　them　at　all。　Toward　the　middle　of　the　fourth　week　Jimmy　had　reached　a　point　where　he　applied　for　a　position　as　office…boy。

〃I'll　be　damned　if　I'm　going　to　quit；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃if　I　have　to　turn　street…sweeper。　There　must　be　some　job　here　in　the　city　that　I　am　capable　of　filling；　and　I'm　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？〃