laimed. "Don't you know smoking's forbidden? What do you
want to do, get our fire insurance cancelled? Get out of here! You're
fired!"

It did not occur to Gissing to question or protest. He had known
perfectly well that smoking was not allowed. But he was like the
stage hand behind the scenes who concluded it was all right to light
a cigarette because the sign only said SMOKING FORBIDDEN, instead of
SMOKING STRICTLY FORBIDDEN. He had not troubled his mind about it, one
way or about it, one way or another.

He had drawn his salary that evening, and his first thought was, Well,
at any rate I've earned enough to pay for the clothes. He had been there
exactly four weeks. Quite calmly, he lifted his feet out of the tub and
began to towel them daintily. The meticulous way he dried between his
toes was infuriating to the superintendent.

"Have you any children?" Gissing asked, mildly.

"What's that to you?" snapped the other.

"I'll sell you this bathtub for a quarter. Take it home to them. They
probably need it."

"You get out of here!" cried the angry official.

"You'd be surprised," said Gissing, "how children thrive when they're
bathed regularly. Believe me, I know."

He packed his formal clothes in a neat bundle, left the bathtub behind,
surrendered his locker key, and walked toward the employees' door,
escorted by his bristling superior. As they passed through the empty
aisles, scene of his brief triumph, he could not help gazing a little
sadly. True merchant to the last, a thought struck him. He scribbled a
note on the back of a sales slip and left it at Miss Whippet's post by
the stocking counter. It said:--

MISS WHIPPET: Show Mrs. Sealyham some of the bisque sports hose, Scotch
wool, size 9. She's coming to-morrow. Don't let her get size 8 1/2. They
shrink.

MR. GISSING.

At the door he paused, relit his pipe leisurely, raised his hat to the
superintendent, and strolled away.

In spite of this nonchalance, the situation was serious. His money was
at a low ebb. All his regular income was diverted to the support of
the large household in the country. He was too proud to appeal to his
wealthy uncle. He hated also to think of Mrs. Purp's mortification if
she learned that her star boarder was out of work. By a curious irony,
when he got home he found a letter from Mrs. Spaniel:--

MR. GISHING, dere friend, the pupeys are well, no insecks, and eat with
nives and forx Groups is the fattest but Y