"
"You mean you won't," said Ferguson quietly.
"No I don't. I mean I can't."
"How do you expect I get along, then? I have a wife and two children
to support, and only get two dollars a week more than you."
"Perhaps you get into debt."
"No; I owe no man a dollar," said Ferguson emphatically. "That isn't
all. I save two dollars a week; so that I actually support four on
fifteen dollars a week--your salary. What do you say to that?"
"I don't want to be mean," said Clapp.
"Nor I. I mean to live comfortably, but of course I have to be
economical."
"Oh, hang economy!" said Clapp impatiently. "The old man used to
lecture me about economy till I got sick of hearing the word."
"It is a good thing, for all that," persisted Ferguson. "You'll
think so some day, even if you don't now."
"I guess you mean to run opposition to young Franklin, over there,"
sneered Clapp, indicating Harry, who had listened to the discussion
with not a little interest.
"I think he and I will agree together pretty well," said Ferguson,
smiling. "Franklin's a good man to imitate."
"If there are going to be two Franklins in the office, it will be
time for me to clear out," returned Clapp.
"You can do better."
"How is that?"
"Become Franklin No. 3."
"You don't catch me imitating any old fogy like that. As far as I
know anything about him, he was a mean, stingy old curmudgeon!"
exclaimed Clapp with irritation.
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