“What, miss,” said the clerk, “are you one of the candidates?”
“No, not exactly; but, all the same, I have come on that very business. If you will give me a sheet of paper I will write a note.”
The man handed her one, and she scribbled a few words:
“Leslie Gilroy wants to see you at once. Please don’t engage a secretary finally until you have heard what I want to say.”
She folded up the paper and handed it to the clerk.
“Will you take that to Mr. Parker now?” she said. “He will look at it even while he is talking with another person.”
“Oh, how good you are!” whispered Annie in her ear.
Another clerk motioned to the girls to seat themselves on a bench not far from the door. The elderly clerk with the gray hair went into a room at the opposite side. He was absent for a couple of minutes. When he returned he went straight up to Leslie.
“Mr. Parker will see you in five minutes,” he said. “Will you come this way?”
“May I come too?” asked Annie.