“Two weeks.”
“What’s the pay?”
“A dollar and a half a day.”
The man shook his head.
“I can’t do it,” he regretted. “I don’t say anything about the pay, but I’m a stationary engineer.” He was interested enough in his course of solid reasoning to lay a stubby finger in his soiled palm. “If I take this two weeks’ job, it’ll stop me from lookin’ for work, and I might miss a permanent situation.”
The rector suppressed certain entirely human instincts.
“You have not had employment for six months,” he reminded Mr. Rogers.
“That’s the reason I can’t take a chance,” was the triumphant response. “If I’d miss a job through takin’ this cheap little thing you offer me, I’d never forgive myself; and you’d have it on your conscience, too.”
“Then you won’t accept it,” and the rector rose, with extremely cold eyes.
“I’d like to accommodate you, but I can’t afford it,” and the man remained perfectly still, an art which he had brought to great perfection. “All we need is the loan of a little money while I’m huntin’ work.”