"Didn't, eh? Well, what's your plans now?"
"Why--uh--I kind of thought--Honestly, Mr. Guilfogle, I'd like to get back on my old job. You remember--it was to be fixed so--"
"Afraid there's nothing doing just now, Wrenn. Not a thing. Course I can't tell what may happen, and you want to keep in touch with us, but we're pretty well filled up just now. Jake is getting along better than we thought. He's learning--" Not one word regarding Jake's excellence did Mr. Wrenn hear.
Not get the job back? He sat down and stammered: "Gee! I hadn't thought of that. I'd kind of banked on the Souvenir Company, Mr. Guilfogle."
"Well, you know I told you I thought you were an idiot to go. I warned you."
He timidly agreed, mourning: "Yes, that so; I know you did. But uh--well--"
"Sorry, Wrenn. That's the way it goes in business, though. If you will go beating it around--A rolling stone don't gather any moss. Well, cheer up! Possibly there may be something doing in--"
"Tr-r-r-r-r-r-r," said the telephone.
Mr. Guilfogle remarked into it: "Hello. Yes, it's me. Well, who did you think it was? The cat? Yuh. Sure. No. Well, to-morrow, probably. All right. Good-by."
Then he glanced at his watch and up at Mr. Wrenn impatiently.
"Say, Mr. Guilfogle, you say there'll be--when will there be likely to be an opening?"
"Now, how can I tell, my boy? We'll work you in if we can--you ain't a bad clerk; or at least you wouldn't be if you'd be a little more careful. By the way, of course you understand that if we try to work you in it'll take lots of trouble, and we'll expect you to not go flirting round with other firms, looking for a job. Understand that?"
"Oh yes, sir."
"All right. We appreciate your work all right, but of course you can 't expect us to fire any of our present force just because you take the notion to come back whenever you want to.... Hiking off to Europe, leaving a good job!... You didn't get on the Continent, did you?"
"No, I--"
"Well.... Oh, say, how's the grub in London? Cheaper than it is here? The wife was saying this morning we'd have to stop eating if the high cost of living goes on going up."
"Yes, it's quite a little cheaper. You can get fine tea for two and three cents a cup. Clothes is cheaper, too. But I don't care much for the English, though there is all sorts of quaint places with a real flavor.... Say, Mr. Guilfogle, you know I inherited a little money, and I can wait awhile, and you'll kind of keep me in mind for a place if one--"