"And now," he said, rising, "I must be going. I have a great deal to
attend to this afternoon and to-morrow, as I wish to get some personal
matters out of the way before I start in here Thursday."

"All right," said Mr. Bince, "I suppose we shall see you Thursday, but
just bear in mind, please, that you and I can work better together than
at cross-purposes."




CHAPTER XVII.

JIMMY ON THE JOB.

As Jimmy left the office he discovered that those last words of Bince's
had made a considerable and a rather unfavorable impression on him. He
was sure that there was an underlying meaning, though just what it
portended he was unable to imagine.

From the International Machine Company Jimmy went directly to the
restaurant where he and Little Eva had dined the night before. He found
her waiting for him, as they had agreed she would.

"Well, what luck?" she asked as he took the chair next to her.

"Oh, I landed the job all right," said Jimmy, "but I feel like a crook.
I don't know how in the world I ever came to stand for those letters of
recommendation. They were the things that got me the job all right, but
I honestly feel just as though I had stolen something."