Part 24 (1/2)
Alex grins.
”That's fine!” he says. ”I'm glad you got some spirit left; they's hope for you yet! Let's see,” he goes on, like they had been no interruption at all, ”how long have you known Miss Evans?”
”Over a year,” says Jared. ”But I don't see what--”
Alex points a finger at him.
”You love her, don't you?” he barks out.
”Of course I do!” mumbles Jared, like he's answering without knowin' it.
”Then why don't you marry her?”
Jared stares at him like he's in a trance.
”_Marry_ her?” he gasps. ”Marry her? Why if I ever asked her _that_, she wouldn't even let me call on her any more!”
”You're crazy!” remarks Alex pleasantly. ”Now listen, son! You been goin' around with that girl over a year, and if she didn't reciprocate your feelin' for her, you wouldn't of lasted that long. Jared, old boy, a year is too long to monopolize a girl without declarin'
yourself! You're spoilin' her chances, and it's dead wrong! They is plenty of other young men which would give their left eye to take her to the movies and the like, but they're layin' off because, havin'
always seen her with you, they take it for granted they is no chance.
That's fine right now for both of you; but if anything should arise that would make you two part, it won't be as easy for her to replace you. Now you need a incentive, and a strong one, to put you across.
They is no bigger incentive on earth than matrimony. Go to her and ask--”
”One minute!” b.u.t.ts in Jared. ”I never was talked to like this in my life before, and why I'm permitting you to discuss my personal affairs, I don't know. As long as I am, I'll go through with it. What you say may be true, but this girl is different, and--”
”Jared,” says Alex, ”I don't doubt that she's different, but, nevertheless, she's a member of the well-known female s.e.x, and I'm basin' my dope on that! I'll tell you what I'll do with you. You ask Miss Evans to marry you, and, if she refuses, I'll give you a job myself for fifty dollars a week; fifteen more than you get now. If she accepts, you gotta raise yourself by your own efforts to fifty dollars a week within six months, or go to work for me for twenty. Now if you got some red blood in you, let's see it!”
Well, Jared gets up and walks around the room for a minute and fin'ly he comes over and holds out his hand to Alex.
”You're on!” he says. ”Only, I'll say this: If Mabel--er--Miss Evans, accepts me, I'll be so happy that I won't be good for _any_thing for a month. If she refuses me, I'll _never_ be any good any more! However, I'll try it. Perhaps I've been asleep. I don't know. But if this girl ever marries me--” He stops and bangs his fists on the table.
”Oh, boy!!!!” he winds up.
Just then they is a ring at the telephone. The maid makes a entrance and claims Mr. Jared Rushton is wanted. In about five minutes, Jared comes back and apologizes.
”My boss, Mr. Hamilton,” he says. ”I've always got to let him know where he can get in touch with me after office hours. I gave him your phone number before I came here to-night.” He turns to Alex. ”That's what it is to be a valuable man,” he says. ”The boss wants me to get all the data together for an estimate on one of the biggest contracts we've ever had a whack at. That means I'll be up all night, so I'll have to leave now. Our four big contract experts are scattered 'round the country and the boss will have to go after this one himself to-morrow. There will be a conference at the Hotel Dubois, and--”
Alex jumps up, his eyes flas.h.i.+n'.
”Why can't _you_ go after that contract?” he shoots out.
Jared looks like he's been hit on the chin.
”_Me_?” he stammers. ”Why--why--”
”Why, why, nothin'!” b.u.t.ts in Alex. ”Here's a chance for you to show Miss Evans, your boss, and the rest of the world what's in you. If your boss calls on you for the figures in this thing, then you must know more about it than he does, or anybody else in the office. Can you get him on the phone?”
”But--but I have never sold anything in my life!” says Jared. ”You don't understand this thing at all. It requires experience and--oh, it's silly to even think of it! Why--”
”Yeh?” b.u.t.ts in Alex. ”What's his number?” He rushes to the phone.