Part 12 (1/2)
”May I be one of your depositors?”
”Of course, if you wish. Mr. Allison is the cas.h.i.+er,” and he introduced the old man to her.
”Give me a check, please,” she said, and when she got it she filled it out for $10,000, handed it to the old man, saying:
”I am your first depositor, and am so glad to know it.”
”I'll send you a book to-morrow,” he said, as he put it away.
”No, don't send it; I'll call for it myself,” she replied.
”Very well, Miss Ketcham.”
The old cas.h.i.+er was knocked topsy-turvy at receiving a check for such a sum from a young typewriter. As they were going out Gertie Clayton came by and said:
”They told me you had opened a bank here, Bob, and I wanted to see if it was true,” and she looked up at the sign on the big plate gla.s.s front.
Callie caught her hand, kissed her as girls do, and said:
”Oh, Gertie, it's just too grand for anything in there! Would you believe it, I am the first depositor on their books!”
”I wish I could put money in the bank, but I can't. It takes all I can make to keep a roof over our heads.”
”Why don't you strike old Bowles for a raise in your salary?” Bob asked her.
”It is useless. He told me to-day he would not want me after this week.”
”The deuce he did! What's the matter?” Bob blurted out.
”I am sure I don't know. He has never found fault with my work, He said I could go back to Bryant's, as he had said I could always find a place there.”
”Well, don't you go there,” said Bob. ”I'll see if I can't find another place for you.”
”I am such a trouble to you, Bob.”
”Indeed you are not.”
Fred and Callie had gone on ahead, and Bob walked with Gertie. They pa.s.sed Broker Bryant on Broadway, and Gertie gave a shudder as she saw him, saying to Bob:
”I am afraid of that man. He looks at me sometimes as though he wanted to kill me.”
”He is bad enough to do it,” Bob said. ”He hates me like poison, and would poison me if he could.”
”I believe he paid Mr. Bowles to discharge me.”
”Why, what good would that do him?”
”He thinks I'll go back to his office if I can't get a place anywhere else.”
”Well, if you can't get a place, you can have deskroom with us and do chance work. You must not go back to him,” and Bob was very earnest in his way as he spoke.