Roswell jumped to his feet in some confusion.
"I thought I had better set the new boy to work," he said.
"Dusting the books is your work, not his."
"He was doing nothing, sir."
"He will have plenty to do in carrying out parcels. Besides, I don't know that it is any worse for him to be idle than you. You were reading also, which you know is against the rules of the store." Roswell made no reply, but it hurt his pride considerably to be censured thus in presence of Mark, to whom he had spoken with such an assumption of power and patronage.
"I wish I had a store of my own," he thought, discontentedly. "Then I could do as I pleased without having anybody to interfere with me."
But Roswell did not understand, and there are plenty of boys in the same state of ignorance, that those who fill subordinate positions acceptably are most likely to rise to stations where they will themselves have control over others.
"I suppose you have not been to dinner," said Mr. Baker, turning to Mark.
"No, sir."
"You board in St. Mark's Place, I think you said?"