“Whew! I’m in for it now!” he exclaimed as he strode along the street, with a hand in each empty pocket. He threw back his head and stepped briskly along. “And I want to tell you one thing right here,” he addressed himself,—“there’s to be no looking backward!”
He whistled a lively air and quickened his steps as exciting thoughts crowded fast upon him. Turning a corner suddenly, he collided with a boy of his own age.
“Hello, Syd!”
The boy addressed, gave a grunt in reply.
“How do you like the place?” Ben continued.
“O, it’s well enough for a while. I’ve got another one at forty dollars a month, in view.”
“Indeed! How soon do expect to make the change?” Ben inquired.
“O, I ain’t going to work for this money long,” Syd aggressively replied, as though his employer were doing him an injury. “I’ve had two offers—one’ll pay ten dollars more; but there’s more work and longer hours. I haven’t made up my mind yet which one I’ll take.”
Doubt was plainly written in Ben’s face. Syd always had some such rose-colored yarn as this to tell about himself.
“You’re lucky to have two such good chances,” Ben remarked. “You’ll have to look out and take the right one.” He turned to go, but the other stopped him.