He followed the wagon-master in, and was presented to a rough-looking man, who stood behind the counter.
A long conversation followed, and when Leon was asked to tell his story, he omitted nothing. The trader scanned him closely, and finally inquired:
"Can you keep a set of books?"
"Yes, sir," replied Leon. "Either by single or double entry."
"Now, I don't want to hear no more about double-entry!" exclaimed the trader, growing red in the face, and dashing his clenched hand upon the counter. "That's the way my last clerk kept my books, and a nice mess he made of it. He swindled me out of five hundred or a thousand dollars. There's the books, just as he left them," added the trader, waving his hand toward the desk, "and I can't make head nor tail of them."
"Let me try," said Leon.
"Are you honest?"
"Well, I'll tell you what I am willing to do. I will come here on trial, if you will take me, and you can withhold my wages, whatever they are. If you see anything wrong about me, you need not pay me a cent."
"That's a fair proposition," said the trader. "Hang up your overcoat somewhere, and come around here."