heart beat quickly, for a moment. What,--could he be discharged
so suddenly? He was dismayed. But Mr. Gifford went on:

"Wash your hands, Ogden, and stand behind the counter there. I'll see
you again, by and by. The buyer is here from the Equatorial."

"I promised them you'd give them all they wanted, and as good prices as
could be had anywhere," said Jack, with a great sense of relief, and
recovering his courage.

"We will," said Mr. Gifford, as he turned away, and he did not think he
must explain to Jack that it would not do for Mr. Barnes to find
Gifford & Company's salesman, "Mr. Ogden," running an Alligator press.

Mr. Barnes was in the store for some time, but Jack was not called up
to talk with him. Mr. Gifford was the right man for that part of the
affair, and in the course of his conversation with Mr. Barnes he
learned further particulars concerning the intimacy between "your Mr.
Ogden" and the Governor, with the addition that "Mr. Boulder thinks
well of Mr. Ogden too."

Jack waited upon customers as they came, and he did well, for "a new
hand." But he felt very ignorant of both articles and prices, and the
first thing he said, when Mr. Gifford again came near him, was:

"Mr. Gifford, I ought to know more than I do about the stock and
prices."

"Of course you ought," said Mr. Gifford. "I don't care to have you try
any more 'drumming' till you do. You must stay a few months behind the
counter and learn all you can. You must dress neatly, too. I wonder
you've looked as well as you have. We'll make your salary fifteen
dollars a week. You'll need more money as a salesman."

Jack flushed with pleasure, but a customer was at hand, and the
interruption prevented him from making an answer.

"Jones," remarked Mr. Gifford to his head clerk, "Ogden is going to
become a fine salesman!"

"I thought so," said Jones.

They both were confirmed in this opinion, about three weeks later.
Jack was two hours behind time, one morning; but when he did come, he
brought with him Mr. Guilderaufenberg of Washington, with reference to
a whole winter's supplies for a "peeg poarding-house," and two United
States Army contractors. Jack had convinced these gentlemen that they
were paying too much for several articles that could be found on the
list of Gifford & Company in better quality and at cheaper rates.

"Meester Giffort," said the German gentleman, "I haf drafel de vorlt
over, und I haf nefer met a better b