His friend the wholesale grocer was away. However, the manager said that he would be back in a few days and assured David that a good job was waiting for him. On the long, tedious trolley ride home, David had time to think. At school, he could always hop some fellow’s car. Easy and pleasant. He’d never given it a thought, but that was sponging in a way. Well, never again; never! He made a wry face at a cat on a gatepost. Lord! he was slated to be poor—filthy poor, for many a long year. It couldn’t be too many years, though.
He must make money. His mother didn’t look right. Of course, the wholesale groceries might give him a good break. Lots of fellows had begun at the very bottom and had soared up.
Soared—that brought his mind to the ships again. It would always be like that, he knew. He’d go along, almost contented, working like the devil and getting on in groceries, but underneath he’d always be thinking about the ships, the roar of the engines, the feel of the rushing air. And he couldn’t do that—not if he meant to make a good grocer. A good grocer! Oh, Lord! Oh, Lord! Something would have to be done!
By the time he reached home the pendulum had swung again. He couldn’t give up his ships. Why, he was kin to every dirigible, every balloon, every little fat blimp that adventured into the upper tides! He couldn’t give them up. As well ask a sailor to go inland and hoe turnips. As well ask a violinist to drive rivets for a living. Well, he’d hoe turnips, drive rivets; hoe fast and drive hard. He was no shirk.
Quite simply and trustingly, David turned to that Great Source upon whom strong hearts are not ashamed to call. “Help me to find a way!” he whispered.
After dinner, while turning the pages of a magazine David chanced on an article on dirigibles. He commenced to read it. Parts of it he reread, scarcely believing his eyes. He gave a whoop of delight.
“The very thing!” he cried. “Mother, listen to this!”
“What is it?” cried Mrs. Ellison and his older sister Lydia.
“Something big! Just listen!” David’s face glowed with excitement. “Today I went over to Black & Black’s to see about a job. They will take me on at fifteen bucks a week, and a chance for a raise occasionally. But they wouldn’t sign me on today because the Mr. Black who attends to such things is away, thank goodness!”
“Why ‘thank goodness’?” said Lydia.