“It’s a good su’prise, though. You’ll like it, all right, but some other people won’t.”
“Tell me about it now,” teased Hickson, amused at Teddy’s important air of mystery.
“Nope. You’ve got to find it for yourself. I’ll be round when you do, but don’t you say a word. You just leave it to me. I know something I’m goin’ to do.”
“All right, youngster,” nodded Hickson. “I guess I’ll have to wait till you get ready to talk. To-morrow’ll do.”
At this moment Mr. Everett came toward them, looking sharply on both sides of him.
“Were you looking for me, sir?” In a twinkling Teddy was the alert, respectful messenger. There was something about Mr. Everett that always inspired him to do his best.
“Yes. You are to take this note to Mr. Eddy, the buyer of the upholstery. Do you know where the upholstery department is?”
“Oh, yes, sir. I know where every department in the store is.”
Mr. Everett smiled slightly at this information. He did not in the least doubt it.
Teddy was off up the aisle almost as soon as the answer to Mr. Everett’s question left his lips. The upholstery department was on the second floor, so he made for the nearest stairway which led to it, disdaining to wait for an elevator. The stairway which Teddy had chosen was cut in half by a balcony on which was a part of the sporting goods department. Just as Teddy set foot on the balcony landing, he heard a soft whistle. Coming down the balcony aisle was a tall, blue-eyed boy named Arthur Worden, who went to school in Teddy’s division. He had been lovingly handling a number of baseballs which a salesman had been showing to a customer and which had been left there while the customer’s purchases were being wrapped. Now the boy raised one of the balls, struck an attitude in imitation of a famous pitcher he had seen, and commanded, “Catch.”