y with whom he held
converse.

Those in his employ led a dog's life of it, for he would brook no
trifling, and from the time they entered the door until they left not
one minute could they call their own; no one might tell just when that
cold, calculating green eye was fixed upon them; so there never was the
least sign of skylarking or even friendly communion in that big
establishment while the proprietor was present, and that meant pretty
much the live-long day, and every day in the week.

Dick had never liked him; no one else did for that matter, though many
people toadied to Mr. Graylock simply because he was reputed to be one
of the richest merchants in Riverview.

And since he had heard how this man had, like a big bully, frightened
his poor little mother with his ugly threats, Dick disliked him more
than ever; but since he had come here seeking employment he knew that it
would be foolish for him to give any indication of such a feeling.

"Sit down there, boy," said the big man, indicating with a lordly
gesture a chair so placed that while he talked he could also keep an eye
on the store by means of that special opening.

When he spoke in a bragging or a bullying tone Archibald Graylock was
accustomed to elevating his voice so that the men at the bookkeepers'
desk could easily hear all he said; perhaps he could not help being loud
in his ways, but there were those who said he did it simply to make an
impression on his employees, and show the groveling worms what a great
man they served.

Dick sat down, holding his hat between his hands, and not feeling at all
confident that he would have even a chance to accept any offer at the
hands of this nabob of Riverview, for he fancied that Mr. Graylock, by
his frown, meant to simply make use of the opportunity to read him a
lecture, haul him over the coals, and then perhaps publicly insult him.

"My son tells me you are in want of employment, and also that he
magnanimously chose to overlook the many times you have gone out of your
way to do spiteful things to him, to tell you to come and see me. Is
this so, boy?" exclaimed the magnate, tapping his pencil savagely on his
desk as though he were pounding in a moral lesson that it would well pay
Dick to heed.

"He told me to see you, yes, sir; and I am looking for some employment
so that I can assist my mother meet expenses. You know the
circumstances, perhaps, Mr. Graylock, and how nearly all we have is tied
up in a