went smooth
enough till the day I was too sick to get down to the office, and two of
the books were at home. Then Mr. Surrey discovered the whole thing.
There was a great row, it seems; and Mr. Surrey examined the books, and
found, as he was pleased to say, that I'd kept them in first-rate style;
so he dismissed Mr. Snipe on the spot, with six months' pay,--for you
know he never does anything by halves,--and put me in his place.

"The men don't like it, I know, and haven't liked it, but of course they
can't say anything to him, and they haven't said anything to me; but
I've seen all along that they looked at me with no friendly eyes, and
for the last day or two I've heard a word here and there which makes me
think there's trouble brewing,--bad enough, I'm afraid; maybe to the
losing of my place, though Mr. Surrey has said nothing about it to me."

Just here the little green door opened, and the foreman whom we have
before seen--James Given as the register had him entered, Jim Given as
every one knew him--came in; no longer with grimy face and flannel
sleeves, but brave in all his Sunday finery, and as handsome a b'hoy,
they said, at his engine-house, as any that ran with the machine; having
on his arm a young lady whom he apostrophized as Sallie, as handsome and
brave as he.

"Evening,"--a nod of the head accompanying. "Miss Howard's traps done?"

"I wish you wouldn't say 'traps,' Jim," corrected Sallie, _sotto voce_:
"it's not proper. It's for a collar and pair of cuffs, Mrs. Franklin,"
she added aloud, putting down a little check.

"Not proper! goodness gracious me! there spoke Snipe! Come, Sallie,
you've pranced round with that stuck-up jackanapes till you're getting
spoiled entirely, so you are, and I scarcely know you. Not proper,--O
my!"

"Spoiled, am I? Thank you, sir, for the compliment! And you don't know
me at all,--don't you? Very well, then I'll say good night, and leave;
for it wouldn't be proper to take a young lady you don't know to the
theatre,--now, would it? Good by!"--making for the door.

"Now don't, Sallie, please."

"Don't what?"

"Don't talk that way."

"Don't yourself, more like. You're just as cross as cross can be, and
disagreeable, and hateful,--all because I happen to know there's some
other man in the world besides yourself, and smile at him now and then.
'Don't,' indeed!"

"Come, Sallie, you're too hard on a fellow. It's your own fault, you
know well enough, if you will be so