I shook my head firmly. "Just developed them out of curiosity. I'm destroying them right now, and the films, too. Then if you say so, I'll leave."
I took the pictures back and started to tear them up.
"Leave? Oh, you think I—" He laughed at the gloomy expression on my face. "Now that you mention it, Bill, you are leaving. I've had you in mind for the Venusian Branch. We need a good man there to get things organized. You're taking over on the first."
I had another picture in my hand to tear up, but my heart was making flip-flops. Manager of the Venusian Branch! Why, that meant I'd be able to offer Margie a real home!
"Uh—Mr. Ames," I said, "Margie and I are in love. We want to get married."
He shrugged, his face suddenly gloomy. "Margie's told me that, Bill. But her mother—Well, you're not blind. You know how much say so I—Hey, don't tear those up!"
The yell was so sudden and unexpected that I jumped and dropped the rack from which I'd been peeling the pictures while we talked. I'd torn up only a few.
Fleming Ames picked up the rack, his eyes gleaming. He looked it over eagerly and picked off four pictures. I walked around to see which they were, and grinned as I suddenly understood.
One was Mrs. Ames seated with her feet on the coffee table smoking a big black cigar. Another was Mrs. Ames, her hair in wild disarray and her mouth open, trying to swim across the room. A third was Mrs. Ames—but why go into details?