the efficiency expert-第8节

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　a　feminine　voice　asking　if　he　was　busy。　As　he　turned　about　he　recognized　her　instantlythe　girl　for　whom　he　had　changed　a　wheel　a　month　before　and　who　unconsciously　had　infused　new　ambition　into　his　blood　and　saved　him；　temporarily　at　least；　from　becoming　a　quitter。

He　noticed　as　he　waited　on　her　that　she　seemed　to　be　appraising　him　very　carefully；　and　at　times　there　was　a　slightly　puzzled　expression　on　her　face；　but　evidently　she　did　not　recognize　him；　and　finally　when　she　had　concluded　her　purchases　he　was　disappointed　that　she　paid　for　them　in　cash。　He　had　rather　hoped　that　she　would　have　them　charged　and　sent；　that　he　might　learn　her　name　and　address。　And　then　she　left；　with　Jimmy　none　the　wiser　concerning　her　other　than　that　her　first　name　was　Elizabeth　and　that　she　was　even　better…looking　than　he　recalled　her　to　have　been。

〃And　the　girl　with　her！〃　exclaimed　Jimmy　mentally。　　〃She　was　no　slouch　either。　They　are　the　two　best…looking　girls　I　have　seen　in　this　town；　notwithstanding　the　fact　that　whether　one　likes　Chicago　or　not　he's　got　to　admit　that　there　are　more　pretty　girls　here　than　in　any　other　city　in　the　country。

〃I'm　glad　she　didn't　recognize　me。　　Of　course；　I　don't　know　her；　and　the　chances　are　that　I　never　shall；　but　I　should　hate　to　have　any　one　recognize　me　here；　or　hereafter；　as　that　young　man　at　the　stocking　counter。　Gad！　but　it's　beastly　that　a　regular　life…sized　man　should　be　selling　stockings　to　women　for　a　living；　or　rather　for　a　fraction　of　a　living。〃

While　Jimmy　had　always　been　hugely　disgusted　with　his　position；　the　sight　of　the　girl　seemed　to　have　suddenly　crystallized　all　those　weeks　of　self…contempt　into　a　sudden　almost　mad　desire　to　escape　what　he　considered　his　degrading　and　effeminating　surroundings。　One　must　bear　with　Jimmy　and　judge　him　leniently；　for　after　all；　notwithstanding　his　college　diploma　and　physique；　he　was　still　but　a　boy　and　so　while　it　is　difficult　for　a　mature　and　sober　judgment　to　countenance　his　next　step；　if　one　can　look　back　a　few　years　to　his　own　youth　he　can　at　least　find　extenuating　circumstances　surrounding　Jimmy's　seeming　foolishness。

For　with　a　bang　that　caused　startled　clerks　in　all　directions　to　look　up　from　their　work　he　shattered　the　decorous　monotone　of　the　great　store　by　slamming　his　sales　book　viciously　upon　the　counter；　and　without　a　word　of　explanation　to　his　fellow　clerks　marched　out　of　the　section　toward　the　buyer's　desk。

〃Well；　Mr。　Torrance；〃　asked　that　gentleman；　〃what　can　I　do　for　you？〃

〃I　am　going　to　quit；〃　announced　Jimmy。

〃Quit！〃'　exclaimed　the　buyer。　　〃Why；　what's　wrong？　　Isn't　everything　perfectly　satisfactory？　You　have　never　complained　to　me。〃

〃I　can't　explain；〃　replied　Jimmy。　　〃I　am　going　to　quit。　　I　am　not　satisfied。　I　am　going　to　erahaccept　another　position。〃

The　buyer　raised　his　eyebrows。　　〃Ah！　he　said。　　〃With〃　and　he　named　their　closest　competitor。

〃No；〃　said　Jimmy。　　〃I　am　going　to　get　a　regular　he…job。〃

The　other　smiled。　　〃If　an　increase　in　salary；〃　he　suggested；　〃would　influence　you；　I　had　intended　to　tell　you　that　I　would　take　care　of　you　beginning　next　week。　I　thought　of　making　it　fifteen　dollars；〃　and　with　that　unanswerable　argument　for　Jimmy's　continued　service　the　buyer　sat　back　and　folded　his　bands。

〃Nothing　stirring；〃　said　Jimmy。　　〃I　wouldn't　sell　another　sock　if　you　paid　me　ten　thousand　dollars　a　year。　I　am　through。〃

〃Oh；　very　well；〃　said　the　buyer　aggrievedly；　〃but　if　you　leave　me　this　way　you　will　be　unable　to　refer　to　the　house。〃

But　nothing；　not　even　a　team　of　oxen；　could　have　held　Jimmy　in　that　section　another　minute；　and　so　he　got　his　pay　and　left　with　nothing　more　in　view　than　a　slow　death　by　starvation。

〃There；〃　exclaimed　Elizabeth　Compton；　as　she　sank　back　on　the　cushions　of　her　car。

〃There　what？〃　asked　Harriet。

〃I　have　placed　him。〃

〃Whom？〃

〃That　nice…looking　young　person　who　waited　on　us　in　the　hosiery　section。〃

〃Oh！〃　said　Harriet。　　〃He　was　nice…looking；　wasn't　he？　　But　be　looked　out　of　place　there；　and　I　think　he　felt　out　of　place。　Did　you　notice　how　he　flushed　when　he　asked　you　what　size？〃　and　the　girls　laughed　heartily　at　the　recollection。　〃But　where　have　you　ever　met　him　before？〃　Harriet　asked。

〃I　have　never　met　him；〃　corrected　Elizabeth；　accenting　the　〃met。〃　〃He　changed　a　wheel　on　the　roadster　several　weeks　ago　one　evening　after　I　had　taken　Harold　down　to　the　club。　And　he　was　very　nice　about　it。　I　should　say　that　he　is　a　gentleman；　although　his　clothes　were　pretty　badly　worn。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Harriet；　〃his　suit　was　shabby；　but　his　linen　was　clean　and　his　coat　well　brushed。〃

〃My！〃　exclaimed　Elizabeth。　　〃He　must　have　made　an　impression　on　some　one。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Harriet；　〃it　isn't　often　you　see　such　a　nice…looking　chap　in　the　hosiery　section。〃

〃No；〃　said　Elizabeth；　〃and　probably　if　he　were　as　nice　as　he　looks　he　wouldn't　be　there。〃

Whereupon　the　subject　was　changed；　and　she　promptly　forgot　Mr。　Jimmy　Torrance。　But　Jimmy　was　not　destined　soon　to　forget　her；　for　as　the　jobless　days　passed　and　he　realized　more　and　more　what　an　ass　he　had　made　of　himself；　and　why；　he　had　occasion　to　think　about　her　a　great　deal；　although　never　in　any　sense　reproaching　her。　He　realized　that　the　fault　was　his　own　and　that　he　had　done　a　foolish　thing　in　giving　up　his　position　because　of　a　girl　he　did　not　know　and　probably　never　would。

There　came　a　Saturday　when　Jimmy；　jobless　and　fundless；　dreaded　his　return　to　the　Indiana　Avenue　rooming…house；　where　he　knew　the　landlady　would　be　eagerly　awaiting　him；　for　he　was　a　week　in　arrears　in　his　room　rent　already；　and　had　been　warned　he　could　expect　no　further　credit。

〃There　is　a　nice　young　man　wanting　your　room；〃　the　landlady　had　told　him；　〃and　I　shall　have　to　be　having　it　Saturday　night　unless　you　can　pay　up。〃

Jimmy　stood　on　the　corner　of　Clark　and　Van　Buren　looking　at　his　watch。　　〃I　hate　to　do　it；〃　he　thought；　〃but　the　Lizard　said　he　could　get　twenty　for　it；　and　twenty　would　give　me　another　two　weeks。〃　And　so　his　watch　went；　and　two　weeks　later　his　cigarette…case　and　ring　followed。　Jimmy　had　never　gone　in　much　for　jewelrya　fact　which　he　now　greatly　lamented。

Some　of　the　clothes　he　still　had　were　good；　though　badly　in　want　of　pressing；　and　when；　after　still　further　days　of　fruitless　searching　for　work　the　proceeds　from　the　articles　he　had　pawned　were　exhausted；　it　occurred　to　him　he　might　raise　something　on　all　but　what　he　actually　needed　to　cover　his　nakedness。

In　his　search　for　work　he　was　still　wearing　his　best…looking　suit；　the　others　he　would　dispose　of；　and　with　this　plan　in　his　mind　on　his　return　to　his　room　that　night　he　went　to　the　tiny　closet　to　make　a　bundle　of　the　things　which　he　would　dispose　of　on　the　morrow；　only　to　discover　that　in　his　absence　some　one　had　been　there　before　him；　and　that　there　was　nothing　left　for　him　to　sell。

It　would　be　two　days　before　his　room　rent　was　again　due；　but　in　the　mean　time　Jimmy　had　no　money　wherewith　to　feed　the　inner　man。　It　was　an　almost　utterly　discouraged　Jimmy　who　crawled　into　his　bed　to　spend　a　sleepless　night　of　worry　and　vain　regret；　the　principal　object　of　his　regret　being　that　he　was　not　the　son　of　a　blacksmith　who　had　taught　him　how　to　shoe　horses　and　who　at　the　same　time　had　been　too　poor　to　send　him　to　college。

Long　since　there　had　been　driven　into　his　mind　the　conviction　that　for　any　practical　purpose　in　life　a　higher　education　was　as　useless　as　the　proverbial　fifth　wheel　to　the　coach。

〃And　even；　〃mused　Jimmy；　〃if　I　had　graduated　at　the　head　of　my　class；　I　would　be　no　better　off　than　I　am　now。〃




CHAPTER　VIII。

BREAD　FROM　THE　WATERS。

The　next　day；　worn　out　from　loss　of　sleep；　the　young　man　started　out　upon　a　last　frenzied　search　for　employment。　He　had　no　money　for　breakfast；　and　so　he　went　breakfastless；　and　as　he　had　no　carfare　it　was　necessary　for　him　to　walk　the　seemingly　interminable　miles　from　one　prospective　job　to　another。　By　the　middle　of　the　afternoon　Jimmy　was　hungrier　than　he　had　ever　been　before　in　his　life。　He　was　so　hungry　that　it　actually　hurt；　and　he　was　weak　from　physical　fatigue　and　from　disappointment　and　worry。

〃I've　got　to　eat；〃　he　soliloquized　fiercely；　　〃if　I　have　to　go　out　to…night　and　pound　somebody　on　the　head　to　get　the　price；　and　I'm　going　to　do　it；〃　he　concluded　as　the　odors　of　cooking　food　came　to　him　from　a　cheap　restaurant　which　he　was　passing。　He　stopped　a　moment　and　looked　into　the　window　at　the　catsup　bottles　and　sad…looking　pies　which　the　proprietor　apparently　seemed　to　think　formed　an　artistic　and　attractive　window　display。

〃If　I　had　a　brick；〃　thought　Jimmy；　〃I　would　have　one　of　those　pies；　even　if　I　went　to　the　jug　for　it；〃　but　his　hunger　had　not　made　him　as　desperate　as　he　thought　he　was；　and　so　he　passed　slowly　on；　and；　glancing　into　the　windows　of　the　store　next　door；　saw　a　display　of　second…hand　clothes　and　the　sign　〃Clothes　Bought　and　Sold。〃

Jimmy　looked　at　those　in　the　window　and　then　down　at　his　own；　which；　though　wrinkled；　were　infinitely　better　than　anything　on　display。

〃I　wonder；〃　he　mused；　〃if　I　couldn't　put　something　over　in　the　way　of　high　finance　here；〃　and；　acting　upon　the　inspiration；　he　entered　the　dingy　little　shop。　When　he　emerged　twenty　minutes　later　he　wore　a　shabby　and　rather