“All right! Hand it over,” said Jimmy, fully conscious that he was the hero of more than usual interest.
Cameron hesitated, then passed his letter over to Jimmy, who, reading the address with deliberate care, winked at the lanky boy, and with a jaunty step made towards a door at the farther end of the room. As he passed a desk that stood nearest the door, a man who during the last few minutes had remained with his head down, apparently so immersed in the papers before him as to be quite unconscious of his surroundings, suddenly called out, “Here, boy!”
Jimmy instantly assumed an air of respectful attention.
“A letter for Mr. Fleming,” he said.
“Here!” replied the man, stretching out his hand.
He hurriedly glanced through the letter.
“Tell him there is no vacancy at present,” he said shortly.
The boy came back to Cameron with cheerful politeness. The “old man's” eye was upon him.
“There is no vacancy at present,” he said briefly, and turned away as if his attention were immediately demanded elsewhere by pressing business of the Metropolitan Transportation & Cartage Company.
For answer, Cameron threw back the leaf of the counter that barred his way, and started up the long room, past the staring clerks, to the desk next the door.