the efficiency expert-第6节

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〃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　flamboyantly　noticeable　in　a　hosiery　department。　His　stature；　his　features；　and　his　bronzed　skin；　that　had　lost　nothing　of　its　bronze　in　his　month's　search　for　work　through　the　hot　summer　streets　of　a　big　city；　were　as　utterly　out　of　place　as　would　have　been　the　salient　characteristics　of　a　chorus…girl　in　a　blacksmith…shop。

For　the　first　week　Jimmy　was　frightfully　embarrassed；　and　to　his　natural　bronze　was　added　an　almost　continuous　flush　of　mortification　from　the　moment　that　he　entered　the　department　in　the　morning　until　he　left　it　at　night。

〃It　is　a　job；　however；〃　he　thought；　〃and　ten　dollars　is　better　than　nothing。　I　can　hang　onto　it　until　something　better　turns　up。〃

With　his　income　now　temporarily　fixed　at　the　amount　of　his　wages；　he　was　forced　to　find　a　less　expensive　boarding…place；　although　at　the　time　he　had　rented　his　room　he　had　been　quite　positive　that　there　could　not　be　a　cheaper　or　more　undesirable　habitat　for　man。　Transportation　and　other　considerations　took　him　to　a　place　on　Indiana　Avenue　near　Eighteenth　Street；　from　whence　he　found　he　could　walk　to　and　from　work；　thereby　saving　ten　cents　a　day。　〃And　believe　me；〃　he　cogitated；　〃I　need　the　ten。〃

Jimmy　saw　little　of　his　fellow　roomers。　　A　strange；　drab　lot　he　thought　them　from　the　occasional　glimpses　he　had　had　in　passings　upon　the　dark　stairway　and　in　the　gloomy　halls。　They　appeared　to　be　quiet；　inoffensive　sort　of　folk；　occupied　entirely　with　their　own　affairs。　He　had　made　no　friends　in　the　place；　not　even　an　acquaintance；　nor　did　he　care　to。　What　leisure　time　he　had　he　devoted　to　what　he　now　had　come　to　consider　as　his　life　workthe　answering　of　blind　ads　in　the　Help　Wanted　columns　of　one　morning　and　one　evening　paperthe　two　mediums　which　seemed　to　carry　the　bulk　of　such　advertising。

For　a　while　he　had　sought　a　better　position　by　applying　during　the　noon　hour　to　such　places　as　gave　an　address　close　enough　to　the　department　store　in　which　he　worked　to　permit　him　to　make　the　attempt　during　the　forty…five…minute　period　be　was　allowed　for　his　lunch。

But　he　soon　discovered　that　nine…tenths　of　the　positions　were　filled　before　he　arrived；　and　that　in　the　few　cases　where　they　were　not　he　not　only　failed　of　employment；　but　was　usually　so　delayed　that　he　was　late　in　returning　to　work　after　noon。

By　replying　to　blind　ads　evenings　he　could　take　his　replies　to　the　two　newspaper　offices　during　his　lunch　hour；　thereby　losing　no　great　amount　of　time。　Although　he　never　received　a　reply；　he　still　persisted　as　be　found　the　attempt　held　something　of　a　fascination　for　him；　similar　probably　to　that　which　holds　the　lottery　devotee　or　the　searcher　after　buried　treasurethere　was　always　the　chance　that　he　would　turn　up　something　big。

And　so　another　month　dragged　by　slowly。　　His　work　in　the　department　store　disgusted　him。　It　seemed　such　a　silly；　futile　occupation　for　a　full…grown　man；　and　he　was　always　fearful　that　the　sister　or　sweetheart　or　mother　of　some　of　his　Chicago　friends　would　find　him　there　behind　the　counter　in　the　hosiery　section。

The　store　was　a　large　one；　including　many　departments；　and　Jimmy　tried　to　persuade　the　hosiery　buyer　to　arrange　for　his　transfer　to　another　department　where　his　work　would　be　more　in　keeping　with　his　sex　and　appearance。

He　rather　fancied　the　automobile　accessories　line；　but　the　buyer　was　perfectly　satisfied　with　Jimmy's　sales　record；　and　would　do　nothing　to　assist　in　the　change。　The　university　heavyweight　champion　had　reached　a　point　where　he　loathed　but　one　thing　more　than　he　did　silk　hosiery；　and　that　one　thing　was　himself。




CHAPTER　VI。

HAROLD　PLAYS　THE　RAVEN。

Mason　Compton；　president　and　general　manager；　sat　in　his　private　office　in　the　works　of　the　International　Machine　Company；　chewing　upon　an　unlighted　cigar　and　occasionally　running　his　fingers　through　his　iron…gray　hair　as　he　compared　and　recompared　two　statements　which　lay　upon　the　desk　before　him。

〃Damn　strange；〃　he　muttered　as　he　touched　a　button　beneath　the　edge　of　his　desk。　A　boy　entered　the