Then he slackened his
pace and went on slowly, glancing keenly at each building until he
came to one that had half a dozen brass signs on the front.
"Here's a good place to make a try," he said to himself, and going
into the first office on the ground floor he asked as politely as he
knew how,
"Can I shine up your brass signs for you?"
There were several young men in the outer office. One of them answered
carelessly, "Yes indeed, shine 'em up, boy, and see 't you make a good
job of it."
"I will that, sir," responded Theodore, blithely, and set to work with
a will.
There had been much wet weather and the signs were badly
discoloured. It took hard, steady rubbing for nearly an hour to get
them into good shining order, but Theodore worked away vigourously
until they gleamed and glittered in the morning sunlight. Then he went
again into the office.
"I've finished 'em, sir," he said to the young man to whom he had
spoken before, "an' I think I've made a good job of it. Will you step
out an' see what you think?"
"Not at all necessary. If you're satisfied, I am," replied the man,
bending over his desk and writing rapidly.
Theodore waited in silence. The young man wrote on. Finally he glanced
up and remarked in a tone of surprise,
"Oh, you here yet? Thought you'd finished your job.
Pages:
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189