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Experiments in Convalescence
"I’msorry.Ithoughtourrelationshadbeenquite—ah—pleasant.Youseemedtobeahardworker—alittleinclinedperhapstowritefancycopy—"
"Ijustgottiredofit,"interruptedAmoryrudely."Itdidn’tmatteradamntomewhetherHarebell’sflourwasanybetterthananyoneelse’s.Infact,Ineverateanyofit.SoIgottiredoftellingpeopleaboutit—oh,IknowI’vebeendrinking—"
Mr.Barlow’sfacesteeledbyseveralingotsofexpression.
"Youaskedforaposition—"
Amorywavedhimtosilence.
"AndIthinkIwasrottenlyunderpaid.Thirty-fivedollarsaweek—lessthanagoodcarpenter."
"Youhadjuststarted.You’dneverworkedbefore,"saidMr.Barlowcoolly.
"ButittookabouttenthousanddollarstoeducatemewhereIcouldwriteyourdarnedstuffforyou.Anyway,asfaraslengthofservicegoes,you’vegotstenographershereyou’vepaidfifteenaweekforfiveyears."
"I’mnotgoingtoarguewithyou,sir,"saidMr.Barlowrising.
"NeitheramI.IjustwantedtotellyouI’mquitting."
TheystoodforamomentlookingateachotherimpassivelyandthenAmoryturnedandlefttheoffice.
ALITTLELULL
Fourdaysafterthathereturnedatlasttotheapartment.TomwasengagedonabookreviewforTheNewDemocracyonthestaffofwhichhewasemployed.Theyregardedeachotherforamomentinsilence.
"Well?"
"Well?"
"GoodLord,Amory,where’dyougettheblackeye—andthejaw?"
Amorylaughed.
"That’samerenothing."
Hepeeledoffhiscoatandbaredhisshoulders.
