“Well, sir!” the old man’s voice creaked.
“Aw, save it for somebody that’s working for you,” said James Legg easily. “I’ve quit.”
“Quit?”
“Yes. Strange, isn’t it?” James Legg smiled at the old man. “Bookkeepers don’t usually quit, do they? No, they stick to the job until their chin hits their knees, and the undertaker has to put them in a press for two days before they’ll fit a casket. I suppose the cashier will pay me off, Mr. Mellon.”
“Well—er—yes, sir! It is just as well that you do quit. This is very, very unusual for an employee of Mellon and Company to—”
“To quit?” smiled James. “Sets a precedent.”
“Ordinarily, we would offer a letter of recommendation, but in a case of—”
“Couldn’t use it, but thank you just the same, Mr. Mellon. I am through keeping books. I’m going to take a job where I can breathe fresh air, smoke a cigaret on the job and swear when I —— please.”
The old man’s lean jaw set tightly for a moment, but he said icily:
“And what are you going to do, if I may ask?”