Half-past three, then a quarter to four arrived. Harry fidgeted uneasily. He was in an agony of apprehension lest Mr. Barton might accuse him of playing along the way. At four o’clock, A. Jacoby waddled into the room where Harry sat in despair. The blue serge suit hung over one pudgy arm.
“You dell Mr. Parton he should pring his glose alhready sooner. Next dime he haf to vait until the next tay.” The old man was folding the suit in the box as he talked. It seemed to Harry that he was hours tying up the box. “Dell him he can bay me any dime,” he instructed Harry.
“Two hours in that shop, and it’ll take twenty minutes to get back to the store. Oh, if I just had a nickel.” He looked longingly at the cars as they lumbered by him, then squaring his shoulders he set off toward Martin Brothers’ Store almost on a run.
He thought the time-keeper eyed him rather suspiciously as he tendered his slip at the time-desk. He wondered if the man thought he had been loitering. But what would Mr. Barton say? That was the all-important question. Harry decided that if Mr. Barton accused him of playing along the way, he would suggest that he call A. Jacoby himself on the telephone and thus find out the time he left the tailor shop.
Harry hastily handed his cap to the boy who was on duty in the coat-room and hurried up the nearest stairway, two steps at a time. As he neared the exchange desk number 10, his eyes traveled over the jewelry department, in a search for Mr. Barton. Then suddenly he heard an indignant voice exclaim, “Well, 45, I wonder where you’ve been all afternoon!”
Harry whirled to face Miss Welch’s disapproving eyes. Her pretty face was not lighted by its usual smile. She looked distinctly out of humor.
“I didn’t think it of you, Kid,” she replied. “I thought you was a good boy. Here, when I’m as busy as can be, you go and lose yourself for all afternoon. I nearly ruined my voice hollering for you, and maybe Mr. Seymour ain’t mad. He flopped up here with some lady friend of his awhile ago. She wanted to exchange a ring and I had no boy to send with her to the department. He had to go himself. After she was gone he came back and I had to give him your number. He asked Smarty Barton where you was and he said he sent you to the stock-room half an hour ago, and you’d oughta been back. Now there’s just this about it, Kid. If you aren’t going to be on the job when I need you, then I’m going to ask for another boy. I’ve tried to be good to you and you ought to kinda look out for me and be Johnny-on-the-spot when I call, ‘Boy,’ without my wasting my breath and splitting my throat yelling for you.”
Harry stared at the ruffled exchange clerk in silent amazement. Could he believe his ears? What was it Miss Welch had just said about Mr. Barton?
“I guess you know you didn’t do right,” went on Miss Welch. “I certainly am su’prised and sorry.”
“Miss Welch,” Harry’s voice rose in excitement. “I wasn’t up in the stock-room. Why, I don’t even know where it is. I was out of the store on an errand for Mr. Barton.”