“I am not willing to wait here four weeks for my friend,” continued Mr. Burnett. “It would only be a waste of valuable time. I should be glad to have you go with me as a—a sort of private secretary, but I can’t afford to pay you as much as I mentioned yesterday. I think I said twenty dollars, did I not?”
“Fifteen to twenty dollars,” corrected Tom.
“Just so. That would be too much for me to pay alone.”
“I would go for less,” said Tom, eagerly.
“I suppose you would hardly agree to say twelve?”
Twelve! It was just four times as much as Tom had ever hitherto received, and he quickly answered:
“I will be willing to go for that.”
“Give me your hand, Tom,” said Mr. Burnett, appearing to be much pleased. “You are a gentleman, and I engage you on the spot. How soon can you go?”
“I can go immediately,” answered Tom, promptly.
“That is well. You won’t complain then if I ask you to be ready to-morrow?”