Then into the entry-room ran Rabin, one of the traveling salesmen.
"Why, hul-lo, Wrenn! Wondered if that could be you. Back so soon? Thought you were going to Europe."
"Just got back. Couldn't stand it away from you, old scout!"
"You must have been learning to sass back real smart, in the Old Country, heh? Going to be with us again? Well, see you again soon. Glad see you back."
He was not madly excited at seeing Rabin; still, the drummer was part of the good old Souvenir Company, the one place in the world on which he could absolutely depend, the one place where they always wanted him.
He had been absently staring at the sample-tables, noting new novelties. The office girl, speaking sweetly, but as to an outsider, inquired, "Who did you wish to see, Mr. Wrenn?"
"Why! Mr. Guilfogle."
"He's busy, but if you'll sit down I think you can see him in a few minutes."
Mr. Wrenn felt like the prodigal son, with no calf in sight, at having to wait on the callers' bench, but he shook with faint excited gurgles of mirth at the thought of the delightful surprise Mr. Mortimer R. Guilfogle, the office manager, was going to have. He kept an eye out for Charley Carpenter. If Charley didn't come through the entry-room he'd go into the bookkeeping-room, and--"talk about your surprises--"
"Mr. Guilfogle will see you now," said the office girl.
As he entered the manager's office Mr. Guilfogle made much of glancing up with busy amazement.
"Well, well, Wrenn! Back so soon? Thought you were going to be gone quite a while."
"Couldn't keep away from the office, Mr. Guilfogle," with an uneasy smile.
"Have a good trip?"
"Yes, a dandy."
"How'd you happen to get back so soon?"
"Oh, I wanted to--Say, Mr. Guilfogle, I really wanted to get back to the office again. I'm awfully glad to see it again."
"Glad see you. Well, where did you go? I got the card you sent me from Chesterton with the picture of the old church on it."
"Why, I went to Liverpool and Oxford and London and--well--Kew and Ealing and places and--And I tramped through Essex and Suffolk--all through--on foot. Aengusmere and them places."
"Just a moment. (Well, Rabin, what is it? Why certainly. I've told you that already about five times. Yes, I said--that's what I had the samples made up for. I wish you'd be a little more careful, d' ye hear?) You went to London, did you, Wrenn? Say, did you notice any novelties we could copy?"
"No, I'm afraid I didn't, Mr. Guilfogle. I'm awfully sorry. I hunted around, but I couldn't find a thing we could use. I mean I couldn't find anything that began to come up to our line. Them English are pretty slow."