What made it worse, considered Mr. Guilfogle, was that this Wrenn had a higher average of punctuality than any one else in the office, which proved that he knew better.  Worst of all, the Guilfogle family eggs had not been scrambled right at breakfast; they had been anemic.  Mr. Guilfogle punched the buzzer and set his face toward the door, with a scowl prepared.

Mr. Wrenn seemed weary, and not so intimidated as usual.

“Look here, Wrenn; you were just about two hours late this morning.  What do you think this office is?  A club or a reading-room for hoboes?  Ever occur to you we’d like to have you favor us with a call now and then so’s we can learn how you’re getting along at golf or whatever you’re doing these days?”

There was a sample baby-shoe office pin-cushion on the manager’s desk.  Mr. Wrenn eyed this, and said nothing.  The manager: 

“Hear what I said?  D’yuh think I’m talking to give my throat exercise?”

Mr. Wrenn was stubborn.  “I couldn’t help it.”

“Couldn’t help—!  And you call that an explanation!  I know just exactly what you’re thinking, Wrenn; you’re thinking that because I’ve let you have a lot of chances to really work into the business lately you’re necessary to us, and not simply an expense—­”

“Oh no, Mr. Guilfogle; honest, I didn’t think—­”

“Well, hang it, man, you want to think.  What do you suppose we pay you a salary for?  And just let me tell you, Wrenn, right here and now, that if you can’t condescend to spare us some of your valuable time, now and then, we can good and plenty get along without you.”

An old tale, oft told and never believed; but it interested Mr. Wrenn just now.

“I’m real glad you can get along without me.  I’ve just inherited a big wad of money!  I think I’ll resign!  Right now!”

Whether he or Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle was the more aghast at hearing him bawl this no one knows.  The manager was so worried at the thought of breaking in a new man that his eye-glasses slipped off his poor perspiring nose.  He begged, in sudden tones of old friendship: 

“Why, you can’t be thinking of leaving us!  Why, we expect to make a big man of you, Wrenn.  I was joking about firing you.  You ought to know that, after the talk we had at Mouquin’s the other night.  You can’t be thinking of leaving us!  There’s no end of possibilities here.”

“Sorry,” said the dogged soldier of dreams.

“Why—­” wailed that hurt and astonished victim of ingratitude, Mr. Guilfogle.

“I’ll leave the middle of June.  That’s plenty of notice,” chirruped Mr. Wrenn.

At five that evening Mr. Wrenn dashed up to the Brass-button Man at his station before the Nickelorion, crying: 

“Say!  You come from Ireland, don’t you?”

“Now what would you think?  Me—­oh no; I’m a Chinaman from Oshkosh!”

“No, honest, straight, tell me.  I’ve got a chance to travel.  What d’yuh think of that?  Ain’t it great!  And I’m going right away.  What I wanted to ask you was, what’s the best place in Ireland to see?”