Part 25 (1/2)
”Oh, that is all right, Mr. Monroe,” replied John. ”I took no offense at your visit.”
”I thought, perhaps, you might have been offended.”
”The fact is, I was very busy last night and forgot all about your intrusion after you had gone,” said John, smiling affably, but with noticeable indifference in his voice.
”I should like to have your confidence, Mr. Winthrope,” said the wily one. ”Inasmuch, as we are near to the head of the firm, we should be on better terms.”
”Perhaps we should,” answered John, still indifferent.
”I shall deem it a pleasure to have you call on me some evening, and accompany me to dinner; or, if you will set the time, I shall call on you.”
”You are very kind, Mr. Monroe.”
”May I call, or will you call?”
”Neither,” replied John, without exhibiting a sign of what he meant.
”Then, I am to understand, you do not court my company?” said the unruffled one.
”No; not that, Mr. Monroe. I am very busy of evenings. Sometime I may accept your invitation; but not for the present,” responded John.
”What is it that so engrosses you of evenings, may I inquire?” asked the worming Monroe.
”Yes; you may ask whatever you please--I am taking a post-graduate course in business on my own time,” said John.
”To what end?” asked Monroe.
”That I may be better prepared to perform my duties; for that reason I do not care to spare the time to go out.”
”Very well, Mr. Winthrope; success to you,” said Monroe. ”But may I not antic.i.p.ate your company to dinner before very long?”
”I cannot now decide, Mr. Monroe--not now; but will inform you of my decision at a later date,” replied John.
Hearing Mr. Jarney enter his office at this juncture, John said good bye to the cat, and retired. He found Mr. Jarney tuned to a conversational degree that morning that perplexed him. Mr. Jarney dictated a few letters, beginning on them as was his custom, immediately after taking his seat, and looking over some important ones; then he lighted a cigar, and reared back in his chair in pleasant contemplation of the circles that he blew out and sent upwards like escaping halos. John sat regarding him for a few seconds with calm complacency; then, seeing that he did not intend to proceed further, for the present, with the dictation, said that he would retire and transcribe the letters.
”No hurry, Mr. Winthrope; no hurry,” said Mr. Jarney, looking searchingly at John. ”You are the most unfathomable chap I ever saw, Mr.
Winthrope,” he continued. ”Here a week has gone by and you have not yet made inquiry about my daughter's health.”
John was astonished at this statement.
”Mr. Jarney, I should have inquired,” he said; ”but I felt it out of place for me to be so familiar with your family matters.”
”Why so?” he asked, with sharpness.
”I feared you might think me presumptuous,” replied John, timidly.
”You presumptuous? I am not sn.o.bbish, Mr. Winthrope,” he returned.