I think Taylor was almost as surprised as Eldredge had been, when, at half-past eight the following morning, I appeared at the bank.
He was already at his desk and, when he looked up and saw me, he whistled.
"Whew!" he exclaimed."So.I didn't dream it, after all.You're here, ain't you.""I am here," I answered, opening the gate and stepping in behind the rail.
"Going to take it back and say you never said it?""No."
"Come to go to work? Really?"
"That is my intention, unless you have changed your mind.""Not me.It ain't likely.But, Ros, I--sit down a minute and let's talk.What are you doing this for?"It was a question I had been asking myself at intervals during a restless night.Now I gave the only truthful answer.
"I don't know," I said.
"You don't know!"
"No.And I don't seem to care.Suppose we don't talk about it.Iam here, and I am ready to begin work.That's enough, isn't it?""Why, no; not quite.You're not doing it just to help me out?""No."
"You don't need to work.You've got money enough.""No, I haven't.But money isn't my reason.I haven't any reason.
Now show me the books, will you?"
"Don't be in a hurry.What does your mother think about it?""I haven't told her yet.Time enough for that when I know that Ireally mean it and you know that I am competent to fill the position.George, if you keep on cross-examining me I am likely to quit before I begin.I don't know why I am doing this, but just now I think I am going to do it if I can.However, I am not sure.
So you had better be careful."
"Humph! What did you catch up at that pond yesterday? I never saw a day's fishing make such a difference in a man in my life....
All right, Ros.All right.I won't pester you.Too glad to have you here for that.Now about the salary.""Before we speak of that there is one more point.How about your directors? Dean and the rest? Do they know you offered me the position?""Sure thing! They put the whole affair in my hands.They'll be satisfied.And as for Cap'n Jed--why, he was the one that suggested hiring you in the first place.""Captain Jed! Captain Jed Dean! HE suggested it?""Yup.In a way, he did.You may not know it, Ros, but you've made a good deal of a hit with the old man.He ain't been used to having anybody stand up to him as you have.As a general thing Denboro jumps when he snaps the whip.You didn't, and he couldn't understand why.He is the kind that respects anything they can't understand.Then, too, Nellie likes you, and she's his idol, you know.Ah hum!"He sighed and, for a moment, seemed to forget me altogether.Ireminded him by another question.
"But why should the captain think of me for this place?" I asked.
"Why should he dream that I would take it? I gave you no encouragement.""I don't know as he did dream it.But he and I were speaking of you and he said he'd like to do something to show you what the town thought of your holding out against Colton.That tickled him down to the keel.I said you'd be a first-class helper to me in this bank, that I heard you knew something about banking--""George!"
"It's all right.I only mentioned that I heard rumors that you were in a city bank somewhere at one time.He didn't ask any more and I shouldn't have told him if he had.But the idea pleased him, I could see that.'Why don't you try to get him?' says he.'Maybe the days of miracles ain't past.Perhaps even he'd condescend to work, if the right job came his way.'""So that's what you call his suggesting me, do you? Humph!""Well, I told him about it last night, when I was up to see Nellie, and he was pleased as Punch.Surprised, of course, but pleased.
He's practically the whole board, as far as settling things is concerned, so it is all right.He ain't the worst friend you've got, by a long shot."I imagined that I understood what Captain Jed's "friendship" meant.
My accepting the bank position was one more bond binding me to his side in the Shore Lane battle.And, so long as I was under Taylor's eye and his own, I could not be subject to the Colton influence.
George and I discussed the question of salary, if his offer and my prompt acceptance might be called a discussion.The pay was not large to begin with, but it was more than I had a right to expect.
And I was perfectly honest when I said that money was not the consideration which led me to make the sudden change in my habit of life.I was sick of idleness; I had longed for something to occupy my life and time; I might as well be doing this as anything;Taylor's offer had appealed to me when he first made it; these were the excuses I evolved for my own satisfaction and I tried to believe them real.But one reason I would not admit, even in my thoughts, as a possibility.It was not that girl, or anything she had said, which influenced me.No! over and over again--no.
Sam Wheeler, the young fellow who acted as assistant bookkeeper and messenger, came in, and Taylor, after showing me the books and giving me a few hints as to what my duties would be, turned me over to him for further instruction.I found I needed but little.The pages, with their rows of figures, seemed like old friends.Ialmost enjoyed poring over them.Was it possible that I was going to like this new venture of mine?
Before noon I was fairly certain of it.The work in a country bank is different from that in the large city institutions, in that it is by no means as specialized.I found that, later on, I should be expected to combine the work of teller with that of bookkeeper.
And this, too, seemed natural.I worked as steadily as I could, considering interruptions, and the forenoon was over almost before I knew it.
