Mr. Lorimer, however, regretted afterwards giving in to the wishes of his son. He recognized the fact that Benton was an experienced salesman whose services were valuable, and that he was getting these at an extraordinary low rate of wages. He could secure a man in his place, doubtless, but it would not be so easy to get one so competent as cheaply.
Accordingly, on the morning succeeding[Pg 155] the dismissal he had a conversation with Julian at the breakfast table.
"I think I shall have to take Benton back, Julian," he said.
"What, after his impudence to me?" exclaimed Julian, frowning.
"Probably you provoked him. At any rate he is a valuable man. I don't see how I can spare him."
"There are lots of clerks out of employment."
"That may be, but he has long experience."
"If you take him back, pa, he will insult me again. I should think you would have more consideration for me."
"I can require him to apologize to you. The man is poor as poverty, and won't dare to refuse."
"Can't you cut down his pay?"
"Not very well. I pay him very little now. You see, Julian, this is a matter of business. I think you are too much in the store, as you have no employment there. If you want to go to work, that will be a different matter."
[Pg 156]
"No, thank you. When I go into business I want to be a banker or a wholesale merchant."
"If you will be at the store at noon I will have Benton apologize to you."
Mr. Benton was at work in his place when Julian passed through the store and paused in front of his counter.
"Pa wants to see you in the office," he said, abruptly.
"Very well, as soon as I fold up these goods," answered the salesman.
"You'd better hurry up if you know what's best for yourself."
"And you'd better cease talking to me in that way or I may teach you better manners."
Julian Lorimer flushed, and his eyes blazed with anger.
"Oho!" he said, "you don't seem to know who I am."
"I know that you are an impudent boy."
Julian nodded vigorously, and went at once to his father.
"Well, I told Benton to come, and he said he'd come as soon as he got ready."
[Pg 157]
"Are you repeating what he said exactly?"
"Yes, that is, he said he'd come when he'd folded up some goods."
"That is a different matter."
"He called me an impudent boy and threatened to lick me."
Mr. Lorimer did not reply to this. He had a suspicion that Julian had represented matters worse than they were.
Two minutes later Henry Benton presented himself at the office. He was quiet and calm.
"I understand you wish to see me, Mr. Lorimer," he said.
"Yes. My son has complained of you."
"You will excuse my saying that I am not in his employ, but in yours. If he were your partner he would have a right to speak to me about my work. As it is he is only your son, and I don't concede his right."
"As my son he is entitled to your respect."
"He would have been treated with respect had he treated me respectfully."
"Did you ever hear the like?" Julian burst in.
"Silence, Julian!" said his father. "In[Pg 158] your circumstances, Mr. Benton, I think you have acted very unwisely."
"How?" asked Benton, briefly.
"You depend upon the wages I pay you for your livelihood."
"Very well, sir."
"And you make an enemy in my family and endanger your remaining in my service."
"I understood that you discharged me yesterday."
"Ahem! yes, but I don't want to be too hard upon you. You have a family, have you not?"
"I have a wife and young son."
"If I should discharge you they would suffer."
"What does this mean?" thought Benton.
"Therefore I have decided to recall the discharge, on condition that you will apologize to Julian for treating him with insolence."
"If I am to retain my position on that condition, Mr. Lorimer, I prefer to leave the store."
"I am surprised at your folly!" said the[Pg 159] merchant, sharply. "Here, I give you a chance to retain your place and your ill-timed pride steps in and interferes with your interest."
"May I ask what I am to apologize to your son for, Mr. Lorimer?"
"You did not treat him with the respect due to my son," answered Mr. Lorimer, pompously.
"Do you sustain him in interfering with my work?" asked Benton, calmly.
"I see you are incorrigible," said Lorimer, angrily. "If your family suffers in consequence of your obstinacy, don't blame me."
"I shall not have occasion to blame you or anyone else."
"What do you mean by that? I don't understand you."
"I mean only that though I shall leave your employment I have another place waiting for me. I shall not be idle for a day."
"Is this true?" asked Lorimer, astonished.
"Yes, sir, quite true."
"For whom are you going to work?"
"You must excuse my keeping that a secret for the present."
[Pg 160]
"When did you make application for a place?"
"I made no application at all. It was offered to me."
"I shall not give you any recommendation."
"None will be necessary, sir. I have worked elsewhere, and my former employer will recommend me."
"I don't believe he's got a place, pa," put in Julian. "I'll bet he's bluffing."
Benton regarded Julian with contempt, but did not say a word.
"What pay are you to get?" asked Lorimer.
"More than twice what you are paying me, sir. You took advantage of my poverty and my necessities to reduce me to five dollars a week, a lower price, probably, than is paid by any dry-goods merchant in the city to an experienced salesman."
"It seems to me you are getting very independent," said Lorimer, annoyed.
"I feel more independent than I did yesterday. I have one favor to ask."
[Pg 161]
"I have already told you that I cannot give you a recommendation."
"I don't care for one. If you can conveniently spare me I should like to retire from your service to-day."
"Let him go, pa."
But Mr. Lorimer did not agree with Julian.
"I prefer that you should remain here till your week expires. If there is any failure to get the situation you expect, I will continue you in my service at six dollars a week."
"Thank you, sir, but I don't think there is any doubt about my situation. If you have nothing further to say to me I will return to my work."
When Benton had retired Mr. Lorimer turned to Julian angrily.
"There," he said, "I have lost one of my best salesmen, whom I was getting dirt cheap, on account of your misconduct."
Julian was rather taken aback at this reproach.
"You can get lots of men in his place, pa," he said.
[Pg 162]
"Not at the same wages. Now go away, I am busy."
"I wish I knew where he is going to work," thought Julian. "I might write an anonymous letter to his employer. I hate him. He puts on too many airs for a cheap clerk."
Julian's malicious plot had certainly failed signally. The next day about one o'clock he was passing the Somerset Hotel, on lower Broadway, just as Rupert was coming out on an errand.
Julian at once noticed the watch chain. As he had never known of Rupert's owning a watch, his curiosity was excited.
"What time is it?" he asked, jeeringly.
Rupert took out his watch.
"Five minutes after one," he answered.
The watch was a handsome one, as Julian noticed.
"Is that your watch?" he asked, abruptly.
"Yes."
"Is it oroide?"
"No; it is gold. Do you wish to look at it?"
Julian's curiosity was such that he took it into his hand. He could see at once that it was a genuine and probably expensive gold watch.
"You must be making high pay to afford a watch like this," he said, in a tone of annoyance.
"It was a present."
"From whom?"
"A friend up town."
Julian dropped the watch and went on his way in an ill humor. He had a watch himself, but it was of less than half the value of Rupert's. He inwardly resolved to ask his father for a new one.