after listenin' to him grow real enthusiastic
once, I got discouraged. What's the use? thinks I."

Well, someway that gives Martha an awful jolt; for maybe you remember my
tellin' how it turns out that her and Zenobia are second cousins to Old
Hickory. She says how she's pained and mortified beyond words to learn
that Mr. Ellins should allow his employees to hear him use such
language.

"Ah, that's all right," says I. "As long as it ain't fired at 'em,
nobody feels bad. Mostly they grins, except now and then a new lady
typewriter who squirms and turns pale. He don't whisper when he's
cussin', Mr. Ellins don't."

"Shocking!" says Sister Martha. "Does--does he do this often?"

"It all depends on how he's feelin'," says I; "but for the past week or
ten days he's been at it pretty reg'lar. I expect he's been havin' a
worse siege than usual."

Oh, me and Martha had a real heart to heart talk that night, and when I
fin'lly goes up to my top floor suite I leaves her fannin' herself and
gaspin' for breath. But she'd asked for facts, and I'd handed 'em over.
How was I to guess what was goin' to be the follow up on that?

Not expectin' anything more'n instructions about some errand or other, I
ain't any disturbed when Piddie comes up to the gate desk right after
lunch next day, lookin' as stern and solemn as if he'd been sent to read
a warrant.

"Boy," says he, "Mr. Ellins, senior, wishes to see you in his private
office!"

"Well, that ain't surprisin', is it, Piddie?" says I. "You don't suppose
we can talk over big affairs like ours out here, do you? Keep your ear
off the keyhole, too!" And with that I goes in chipper and cheerful.

The minute I gets through the last door, though, I feels the frost in
the air. Mr. Ellins, he lets me wait long enough for the chill to strike
in, while he signs a basketful of letters. Then he swings around in his
swivel chair and proceeds to size me up through them gunmetal gray eyes
of his. Say, it was like standin' in front of a searchlight and under a
cold shower, all at once.

"So, young man!" says he. "You have been hearing me swear, eh?"

That's enough for me. Just from that I can sketch the whole plot. And
it don't take me a month to figure out the line of talk I'm goin' to
use. What's the sense in playin' for time when your blue ticket's all
made out.

"Heard you?" says I. "Think I wear my ears full of putty?"

"Huh!" he grunts. "And do I understand that you disapprove of m