OCR Text |
Show The t Fiction CALL A DOCTOR HE'Wito Corner decide whether or not the employee was worth more to him in dollars and cents. He'd try to figure out in his own mind how little he could get away with paying. Ah! There was something now. If you asked for a raise, act as though you deserved it. Give the impression that the possibility you weren't worth more never entered your head. It was merely a matter of arriving ar-riving at a figure. People spoke to Ogden when he entered the office. Then they looked at him curiously. He wasn't the same. He was ill. Or perhaps he had a hangover. He seemed pale. His hands trembled when he hung up his hat. He was sweating. Perhaps Per-haps he should call a doctor. KT 9:05 Mr. Mitchell came in, nodding and speaking to everyone every-one as he always did. Ogden opened his mouth to reply, but no sound came. He wet his lips, started to rise, sat down again weakly. Mr. Mitchell's Mitch-ell's door opened. Mr. Mitchell came out. "Ogden!" he yelled, and his voice had a rasping sound. Ogden jumped. What had he done now? Certainly Mr. Mitchell Mitch-ell acted as though he was going go-ing to ball him out. Perhaps fire him. Good. Firing would be a relief. It would settle the whole problem. He could tell Helen that he had asked for a raise and Mitchell had fired him and it was her fault. Mr. Mitchell was behind his desk when Ogden entered. "Ogden, I've been thinking about you. You've proved yourself valuable val-uable to the firm. That western deal now. You did a good job. You have the sort of stuff we need in this organization. I'm the sort of man who believes in paying a man what he's worth. Now, I need a junior partner. If you're interested I'd like to groom you for the post. You'd start at double your present salary. Then in a year Hey! Miss Ryan! Quick, a glass of water. Og-den's Og-den's fainted! Good Lord, call a doctor!" OGDEtt TURNED over in bed, muttered, then sat bolt upright. up-right. There was a wild, unholy light in his eyes. Great globules of perspiration stood out on his forehead. fore-head. His hands felt cold and clammy. clam-my. For a moment he sat rigid and tense. Slowly he relaxed. Then he switched on the bedside light. Five a.m. In four and a half hours it would be over. He would have en-tered en-tered Mr. Mitchell's Mitch-ell's office and 3 -Minute said, in effect: Fiction ''Mr- Mithf 1 have worked for you for three years. I am a valued employee and feel that ,1 deserve more money." And Mr. Mitchell would reply-Well, reply-Well, what would Mr. Mitchell reply? re-ply? He got out of bed without waking his wife. It was 5:30 and still dark. He went into the bathroom bath-room and turned on the shower. At 6 o'clock, fully dressed, he came downstairs. He put coffee cof-fee on to boil, set a frying pan over a gas jet, cut open an orange, plugged in the toaster. . Presently he sat down to eat. He ate automatically. Food was tasteless taste-less In his mouth. He left the house without waking Helen. During the half hour it took him to reach the office he was beset be-set by all sorts of terrifying fancies. He grew hot, then cold. He changed his mind twice about approaching Mr. Mitchell. He thought he'd postpone post-pone the ordeal. Then he pictured himself coming home to Helen. Helen was proud of him. What would she think if he had to admit lacking the courage to face a common com-mon ordinary man like Mr. Mitchell? Mitch-ell? Now, there was something. Mr. Mitchell was, after all, nothing more than a common ordinary man. Like himself. Built the same way. Capable of having toothaches and stomachaches and liking his .rowmmjsMBisulu. II n .n. ""' "Good Lord, call a doctor!" eggs fried only on one side. Just a man. Ogden tried to picture himself in Mr. Mitchell's position. What would be do if an employee of three years asked for a raise? What? Why, be'd look at the matter coldly, impersonally. im-personally. He'd add things up and |