It was the exchange clerk’s turn to stare. There was absolute truth in the boy’s clear eyes. They met hers unflinchingly.
“Well, what do you think of that?” she muttered. “On an errand for old Smarty! Where’d he send you?”
“To a tailor shop on Commerce Street. I had to take a blue suit there to be pressed. I had to wait for it, and it took a long time. He gave me a store pass. I’m afraid he’ll scold me, though, for being gone so long. But I——”
“Scold you,” snorted Miss Welch. “Don’t you worry. He won’t scold you. The mean old reprobate! Here he sends you out on an errand for him and then tells Mr. Seymour he sent you to the stock-room. Oh, just wait till the next time he gets on his ear around here. I’ll hand him something. Now, you listen to me, Harry. I mighta known you was too good a kid to go playing hookey from your department. Don’t you ever go on personal errands for anybody but a real boss. No aisle man can send you out with his clothes or his laundry or to buy theatre tickets or anything like that. Some of ’em do it, I know, but they’re generally men enough to stand up and say so. If he tries it again, say ‘No,’ right out flat. Just like that. He can’t do a thing to you, because if he reported you he’d have to tell on himself. Catch him doing that!”
“But what shall I say if Mr. Seymour asks me about to-day?” queried Harry, his boyish face very sober.
“Tell him—let me see—tell him—the truth, of course. You don’t love Smarty Barton so much that you want to be a nice, gentle martyr for him, do you?”
“No-o-o, only I hate to—tell tales,” faltered Harry.
“Humph!” ejaculated the exchange clerk with deep scorn. “Well, wait and see. Maybe Mr. Seymour won’t think of it again. But you remember what I told you. No more errands for S. B. I’ll bet you he never gave you a cent of carfare, now did he?”
Harry shook his head.
“Can you beat it?” muttered Miss Welch. “Yes, lady, this is the exchange desk.” She turned to the customer who had asked the question. “Where’s your check? You’ll have to get the aisle manager to sign it.”