But half an hour later, after Miss Allen has stuck her gum on the
paperweight and skipped, and Sweetwater has slid out too, and just as I
was gettin' ready to call it a day, Mr. Pepper calls me in on the rug.

"Torchy," says he, "during the brief period that we have been associated
in business I have found your services very valuable and your society
very cheering. In other words, Torchy, you're all right."

"There's a pair of us, then," says I. "You're as good as they make them,
Mr. Pepper."

"Thanks, Torchy," says he, "thanks." Then he looks out of the window for
a minute before he asks how I'd like a two-weeks' vacation with pay.

"Well," says I, "seein' as how Coney's froze up, and Palm Beach don't
agree with my health, I'd just as soon put them two weeks in storage
until July."

"I see," says he; "but the fact is, Torchy, I've had a sudden call to go
West."

"Out to the Glory Be mine?" says I.

"You've guessed it," says he. "And I am taking this opportunity for
releasing Sweetwater and Miss Allen."

"They ain't much use, anyway," says I. "But you wouldn't shut up the
shop for fair, would you? Don't you want some one on hand to answer
fool questions, or steer cranks off like that post-office guy that's
comin' to-morrow? Unless you think I'd hook the rolltop or pinch the
letterpress, you'd better leave me sittin' on the lid."

Well, sir, he seemed to take to that notion, and the next thing I knows
I'm tellin him about my scheme of wantin' to save up enough dough to pay
for a little bunch of them Glory Be stocks.

"It's a shame to waste all that good money on people that don't know a
cinch when it's passed out to 'em," says I, "and I've been thinkin' that
if I hung to the business long enough maybe I'd have a show to buy in."

Say, you couldn't guess what Mr. Pepper up and does then. He opens the
safe, counts out a hundred shares of Glory Be common, and fills out the
transfer to me right on the spot.

"Now, Torchy," says he, "it will cost you five weeks' salary to pay for
these; but if I raise you a dollar a week and take it out a little at a
time you'll never miss it. Anyway, you're a shareholder from now on."

Did you ever get rich all of a sudden, like that! You feel it first up
and down the small of your back, and then it goes to your knees. I
couldn't say a blamed word that was sensible. I don't know just what I
did say, and I never come to until after Mr. Pepper'd finished up and
gone, leavin' me