At that moment the man at the large desk, whose back had been toward them, swung round in his chair and viewed the little assemblage with critical eyes. Rising from his chair he strolled over to where the waiting youngsters sat. “How many of you were here yesterday?” he asked.
“I was,” Teddy answered like a flash.
“So was I,” declared Harry.
No one else answered.
“Did Mr. Keene tell you to come back this morning?” was the next question.
“Yes, sir,” came the simultaneous answer.
The young man, who had a fair, pleasant face, very blue eyes, and a large, humorous mouth, stepped into the inner office. The next second he appeared in the doorway and beckoned to Harry and Teddy.
“Good morning, boys,” greeted Mr. Keene briskly. His alert eyes scanned the lads before him. “Did you bring your certificates?”
“Here is mine, sir.” Harry tendered his birth certificate. Teddy once more presented to Mr. Keene the certificate from the Bureau of Labor, which, in company with his mother, the boy had secured on the previous day before starting out on the glorious adventure which was to end his school days for good and all—by his own reckoning, at least. Mr. Keene had returned it to him the day before, but he again accepted the fateful document, and went over the two certificates carefully.
“Well, boys,” he said at last, “do you think you can work for the highest interests of the store?”