CHAPTER II

HE WALKS WITH MISS THERESA





As he left the Souvenir Company building after working late at
taking inventory and roamed down toward Fourteenth Street, Mr.
Wrenn felt forlornly aimless. The worst of it all was that he
could not go to the Nickelorion for moving pictures; not after
having been cut by the ticket-taker. Then, there before him was
the glaring sign of the Nickelorion tempting him; a bill with
"Great Train Robbery Film Tonight" made his heart thump like
stair-climbing--and he dashed at the ticket-booth with a nickel
doughtily extended. He felt queer about the scalp as the
cashier girl slid out a coupon. Why did she seem to be watching
him so closely? As he dropped the ticket in the chopper he
tried to glance away from the Brass-button Man. For one-
nineteenth of a second he kept his head turned. It turned
back of itself; he stared full at the man, half bowed--and
received a hearty absent-minded nod and a "Fine evenin'."
He sang to himself a monotonous song of great joy. When he
stumbled over the feet of a large German in getting to a seat,
he apologized as though he were accustomed to laugh easily with
many friends.