"Gettin' along!" he repeated."He's gettin' along the way a squid swims, and that's backwards.And, if you asked me, I'd say the longer he stayed the further back he'd get.""Sho! then he did turn out to be a leak instead of an able seaman, eh?""A leak! Gracious king! He's like a torpedo blow-up under the engine-room.The bank'll sink if he stays aboard another month, Ido believe.And yet," he added, with a shake of the head, "I don't see but he'll have to stay; there ain't another available candidate for the job in sight.I 'phoned up to Boston and some of our friends are lookin' around up there, but so far they haven't had any success.This war is makin' young men scarce, that is young men that are good for much.Pretty soon it'll get so that a healthy young feller who ain't in uniform will feel about as much out of place as a hog in a synagogue.Yes, sir! Ho, ho!"He laughed in huge enjoyment of his own joke.Jed stared dreamily at the adjusting screw on the handsaw.His hands clasped his knee, his foot was lifted from the floor and began to swing back and forth.
"Well," queried his friend, "what have you got on your mind? Out with it.""Eh?...On my mind?"
"Yes.When I see you begin to shut yourself together in the middle like a jackknife and start swinging that number eleven of yours Iknow you're thinkin' hard about somethin' or other.What is it this time?""Um...well...er...Sam, if you saw a chance to get a real smart young feller in Lute's place in the bank you'd take him, wouldn't you?""Would I? Would a cat eat lobster? Only show him to me, that's all!""Um-hm....Now of course you know I wouldn't do anything to hurt Lute.Not for the world I wouldn't.It's only if you AREgoin' to let him go--"
"IF I am.Either he'll have to let go or the bank will, one or t'other.United we sink, divided one of us may float, that's the way I look at it.Lute'll stay till we can locate somebody else to take his job, and no longer.""Ya-as....Um-hm....Well, I tell you, Sam: Don't you get anybody else till you and I have another talk.It may be possible that I could find you just the sort of young man you're lookin'
for."
"Eh? YOU can find me one? YOU can? What are you givin' me, Jed?
Who is the young man; you?"
Jed gravely shook his head."No-o," he drawled."I hate to disappoint you, Sam, but it ain't me.It's another--er--smart, lively young feller.He ain't quite so old as I am; there's a little matter of twenty odd years between us, I believe, but otherwise than that he's all right.And he knows the bankin'
trade, so I'm told."
"Gracious king! Who is he? Where is he?""That I can't tell you just yet.But maybe I can by and by.""Tell me now."
"No-o.No, I just heard about him and it was told to me in secret.
All I can say is don't get anybody to fill Lute Small's place till you and I have another talk."Captain Sam stared keenly into his friend's face.Jed bore the scrutiny calmly; in fact he didn't seem to be aware of it.The captain gave it up.
"All right," he said."No use tryin' to pump you, I know that.
When you make up your mind to keep your mouth shut a feller couldn't open it with a cold chisel.I presume likely you'll tell in your own good time.Now if you'll scratch around and find those checks and things you want me to deposit for you I'll take 'em and be goin'.I'm in a little bit of a hurry this mornin'."Jed "scratched around," finally locating the checks and bills in the coffee pot on the shelf in his little kitchen.
"There!" he exclaimed, with satisfaction, "I knew I put 'em somewheres where they'd be safe and where I couldn't forget 'em.""Where you couldn't forget 'em! Why, you did forget 'em, didn't you?""Um...yes...I cal'late I did this mornin', but that's because I didn't make any coffee for breakfast.If I'd made coffee same as I usually do I'd have found 'em.""Why didn't you make coffee this mornin'?"Jed's eye twinkled.
"W-e-e-ll," he drawled, "to be honest with you, Sam, 'twas because I couldn't find the coffee pot.After I took it down to put this money in it I put it back on a different shelf.I just found it now by accident."As the captain was leaving Jed asked one more question."Sam," he asked, "about this bank job now? If you had a chance to get a bright, smart young man with experience in bank work, you'd hire him, wouldn't you?"Captain Hunniwell's answer was emphatic.
"You bet I would!" he declared."If I liked his looks and his references were good I'd hire him in two minutes.And salary, any reasonable salary, wouldn't part us, either....Eh? What makes you look like that?"For Jed's expression had changed; his hand moved across his chin.
"Eh--er--references?" he repeated.
"Why, why, of course.I'd want references from the folks he'd worked for, statin' that he was honest and capable and all that.
With those I'd hire him in two minutes, as I said.You fetch him along and see.So long, Jed.See you later."He hustled out, stopping to tear from the outer door the placard directing callers to call at Abijah Thompson's.Jed returned to his box and sat down once more to ponder.In his innocence it had not occurred to him that references would be required.
