lf addressed so familiarly by the
manager; but the latter was speaking:

".... Remember this: extra holidays never save you labor. The work is
always waiting for your return, piling up through every hour of your
pleasure."

Mr. Robb sighed and walked into his office, leaving the new junior to
absorb another impression. The words spoken did impress Nelson. He
sat gazing before him at the wall, wondering why the manager was so
friendly toward him and so cynical on matters of business. From
looking at nothingness his eyes gradually focused on a calendar, and at
an "X" mark in pencil thereon. The mark indicated the day when he
would make a trip home to tell about "the world": that day had come.

With a smile he laid aside the money-order he had been examining and
began straightening up his desk, whistling as he did so. Castle, out
in his cash, was annoyed.

"Will you kindly stop that whistling," he commanded in his high tones.

"Excuse me," said the junior quickly, "I wasn't thinking."

"Well you want to think," returned Castle.

"No you don't," called Watson; "you'll get h--l if you dare to think.
As the hymn says, 'Trust and obey'--but for heaven's sake don't think.
Now _I_ think--"

"Shut up, Bill," interposed Perry, "I've been up this column twice
already."

Bill opened his eyes and leered down on the savings man.

"Look who's here," he said, facetiously. "Why, it's the new ledger
keeper; the great-grandson of Burroughs, and inventor of the new system
of adding--the system which says: Go up a column three times and if the
totals agree there is something wrong; mistrust them; get the other man
to add it."

Porter scowled. Castle could scarcely repress a smile, but he dug his
nose into a bunch of dirty money, and managed to turn his thoughts to
microbes and other sober subjects.

Evan, his grip packed, stood apologetically behind the cage, waiting
for the teller to turn around.

"What do _you_ want?" said Castle.

"Cash this cheque, will you, please?"

A smile wavered on Watson's lip. Porter felt in his pockets. The
teller grinned.

"Hardly worth while keeping that in an account," he said, with the
intention of joking. It was a wonder, too, for he seldom tried to be
funny with inferiors.

"I wouldn't have even that," replied Evan, "if it weren't for the
account."

Bill haw-hawed.

"You're no humorist, Castle," he said.

The teller was red and white in an instant. The ledger keeper n