Loammi brightened up. It seemed too good news to be true. His despised cousin had been discharged.
Loammi could not have heard anything that would have pleased him more.
"Do you know why he was discharged?" he asked, eagerly.
"No, I don't," answered the other, with a twinkle in his eye. "Do you know him?"
"Yes; he is a distant relation of mine."
"Then perhaps you can judge better than I why he did not give satisfaction."
"I am not at all surprised. He was too fresh. That was the matter with him."
"Dear me! How unfortunate!"
"Yes; he'll never stay long anywhere. Pa had him in his store for a while—Ezra Little's store, Eighth Avenue—but he was obliged to send him away."
"And are you Mr. Little's son?" asked the young clerk, with mock deference.