"Are you implying that my work is useless?" demanded Tompkins incredulously.
"No; not if it brings happiness to some poor sucker of a pants manufacturer who doesn't know how to spend his money."
Tompkins and Gretchen exchanged a glance.
"Oh-h-h!" exclaimed Tompkins ironically. "I didn't realize that all these years I've just been wasting my time."
"You're a loafer," said Roger rudely.
"Me?" cried Tompkins angrily. "You call me a loafer because I have a little balance in my life and find time to do interesting things? Because I play hard as well as work hard and don't let myself get to be a dull, tiresome drudge?"
Both men were angry now, and their voices had risen, though on Tompkins's face there still remained the semblance of a smile.
"What I object to," said Roger steadily, "is that for the last six weeks you seem to have done all your playing around here."
"Roger!" cried Gretchen. "What do you mean by talking like that?"
"Just what I said."