“My reasons are good business reasons, Tommy, because I have your future in mind. Can you leave to-night?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Very well.”
Tommy hesitated; then he held out his hand and said, “Good-by, Mr. Thompson.”
“Wait a minute. Tell the cashier to let you have a hundred dollars expense account.” Then he shook hands. “Place that stock, Tommy!” he said.
A little later, when he said good-by to Bill Byrnes, Tommy realized for the first time how deeply rooted in Dayton his life was. He didn't feel that he was going home, but that he was leaving it!
CHAPTER XVII
THE train rushed eastward, but Tommy's thoughts reached New York first. He did it by considering the task that Thompson had given him to do. He read the typewritten statement very carefully, studied the statistics of growth and profits and values, and fervently blessed Thompson, who had taken pains clearly to indicate the significance of each item so that nobody could fail to understand.