a few pounds of badly needed weight. His walks grew longer; he slept better; he looked almost himself again, except that the old gay arrogance was gone forever and he was gentle where once he had been impudent, almost humble where once he had been arrogant.
He came home late for dinner one evening with a light of excitement in his eyes when he joined his mother and Geraldine in the living room, where they had been waiting for him.
“Well, girls,” he said as he came into the room, “I’d like you to pack a lunch-pail for me tomorrow — a couple of hard-boiled eggs, a dry sandwich and a banana. I’m joining the working classes.”
Geraldine and Mrs. Parker exchanged a surprised glance.
“But, my dear boy, what on earth do you mean?” protested Mrs. Parker.
“I mean I’ve got a job, Miss Lucy — a perfectly swell job, and I start in the morning,” said Tip happily and accepted the cocktail Geraldine poured for him.
“A job?” bleated Mrs. Parker. “What sort of a job?”
Tip grinned at her above the dry Martini.
“Now, what a question, Miss Lucy! Where else
would
a Parker get a job but in the mills, of course?”
“But you aren’t strong enough!” Mrs. Parker was angry.
“I’ll never get any stronger loafing, Miss Lucy. I’ll only develop a first-class set of heebie-jeebies to match the ones I brought back with me,” Tip assured her with a trace of grimness in his voice. “It’s a swell job. I’m going to wear overalls and carry a lunch-pail and work my way up from the bottom rung of the ladder until I know as much about the mills as that Donaldson guy.”
At the name, Geraldine was very still, her hands locked in her lap, her eyes on them. She heard Mrs. Parker’s swiftly caught breath but dared not look at her.
“You know, he’s quite a fellow,” said Tip enthusiastically, oblivious to the sudden tenseness in the room. “I like him a lot. He certainly has a head on his shoulders and I bet there isn’t one inch of that factory or a job in it that he doesn’t know like the palm of his hand. He’s a regular — from hairpins to shoelaces.”
Geraldine’s lower lip was caught between her teeth and she did not raise her eyes. But she felt Mrs. Parker’s sharp, angry glance.
“If you want to go into the mills, dear boy, then the thing for you to do is take over Mr. Donaldson’s position as General Manager,” Mrs. Parker insisted stiffly, and was interrupted by Tip’s derisive, gay laugh.
“Oh, Miss Lucy, what foolishment you do talk!” he cried and dropped an arm about her plump shoulders, hugging her hard. “Take over Donaldson’s job? Maybe ten or fifteen years from now when I know half as much as he does about it! Right now, I’m only too relieved to have any kind of a job where I can learn some of the things I need to know.”
Dinner was announced and they went in, Mrs. Parker still protesting half-tearfully, Tip in gay spirits, teasing her, laughing at her, but still determined to begin work tomorrow on a job that would necessitate the wearing of overalls and getting himself very greasy. He seemed to relish the prospect. He was full of eager chatter, and more nearly himself than Geraldine had seen him since he came home.
“Of course, Miss Gerry,” he addressed Geraldine sternly, “I shall expect my devoted wife to be waiting for me at the employees’ entrance when I leave work each evening, and drive me home! I can’t afford to drive up to the gates in a car, and thus set myself instantly apart from all the others in my part of the mills.”
“I’ll drive you in in the morning and come for you in the afternoon, of course, Tip,” she assured him quietly.
He beamed at her. “That’s the kind of wife I like,” he said happily. “The nice, docile, clinging-vine type.”
Mrs. Parker flung Geraldine an exasperated, almost frightened glance but Geraldine made herself smile at Tip and pretend to enter into his mood.
Chapter Eight
The town accepted, as a
He came home late for dinner one evening with a light of excitement in his eyes when he joined his mother and Geraldine in the living room, where they had been waiting for him.
“Well, girls,” he said as he came into the room, “I’d like you to pack a lunch-pail for me tomorrow — a couple of hard-boiled eggs, a dry sandwich and a banana. I’m joining the working classes.”
Geraldine and Mrs. Parker exchanged a surprised glance.
“But, my dear boy, what on earth do you mean?” protested Mrs. Parker.
“I mean I’ve got a job, Miss Lucy — a perfectly swell job, and I start in the morning,” said Tip happily and accepted the cocktail Geraldine poured for him.
“A job?” bleated Mrs. Parker. “What sort of a job?”
Tip grinned at her above the dry Martini.
“Now, what a question, Miss Lucy! Where else
would
a Parker get a job but in the mills, of course?”
“But you aren’t strong enough!” Mrs. Parker was angry.
“I’ll never get any stronger loafing, Miss Lucy. I’ll only develop a first-class set of heebie-jeebies to match the ones I brought back with me,” Tip assured her with a trace of grimness in his voice. “It’s a swell job. I’m going to wear overalls and carry a lunch-pail and work my way up from the bottom rung of the ladder until I know as much about the mills as that Donaldson guy.”
At the name, Geraldine was very still, her hands locked in her lap, her eyes on them. She heard Mrs. Parker’s swiftly caught breath but dared not look at her.
“You know, he’s quite a fellow,” said Tip enthusiastically, oblivious to the sudden tenseness in the room. “I like him a lot. He certainly has a head on his shoulders and I bet there isn’t one inch of that factory or a job in it that he doesn’t know like the palm of his hand. He’s a regular — from hairpins to shoelaces.”
Geraldine’s lower lip was caught between her teeth and she did not raise her eyes. But she felt Mrs. Parker’s sharp, angry glance.
“If you want to go into the mills, dear boy, then the thing for you to do is take over Mr. Donaldson’s position as General Manager,” Mrs. Parker insisted stiffly, and was interrupted by Tip’s derisive, gay laugh.
“Oh, Miss Lucy, what foolishment you do talk!” he cried and dropped an arm about her plump shoulders, hugging her hard. “Take over Donaldson’s job? Maybe ten or fifteen years from now when I know half as much as he does about it! Right now, I’m only too relieved to have any kind of a job where I can learn some of the things I need to know.”
Dinner was announced and they went in, Mrs. Parker still protesting half-tearfully, Tip in gay spirits, teasing her, laughing at her, but still determined to begin work tomorrow on a job that would necessitate the wearing of overalls and getting himself very greasy. He seemed to relish the prospect. He was full of eager chatter, and more nearly himself than Geraldine had seen him since he came home.
“Of course, Miss Gerry,” he addressed Geraldine sternly, “I shall expect my devoted wife to be waiting for me at the employees’ entrance when I leave work each evening, and drive me home! I can’t afford to drive up to the gates in a car, and thus set myself instantly apart from all the others in my part of the mills.”
“I’ll drive you in in the morning and come for you in the afternoon, of course, Tip,” she assured him quietly.
He beamed at her. “That’s the kind of wife I like,” he said happily. “The nice, docile, clinging-vine type.”
Mrs. Parker flung Geraldine an exasperated, almost frightened glance but Geraldine made herself smile at Tip and pretend to enter into his mood.
Chapter Eight
The town accepted, as a
Similar Books
