I'll look at them now," and Theodore followed the
gentleman out to the steps.
"Well, you have made a good job of it, certainly," the gentleman
said. "The signs haven't shone like that since they were first put
there. Quite a contrast to the others on the building. Come back
into the office a moment."
He went back to Mr. Hammond's desk and again Theodore followed.
"Mr. Hammond," said the gentleman, quietly, "you are willing of course
to pay for your joke. The boy has done his work extremely well. I
think he ought to have half a dollar for it."
With anything but a happy expression, Mr. Hammond drew from his
pocket a half dollar and handed it to Theodore, who said, not to the
clerk, but to the gentleman, "Thank you, sir," and left the office.
But he did not leave the building. He went to the owner of every brass
sign in or on the building and asked to be allowed to make every other
sign look as well as those of T.S. Harris, which he had just polished.
Now, T.S. Harris was the owner of the building and the occupants of
the other offices considered that it would be wise to follow his
example in this matter, so the result was that Theodore spent all the
morning over the signs on that one building, and Mr. Harris having set
the price, he received twenty-five cents for each sign.
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