"Certainly; that will be perfectly satisfactory."
"Ah," delightedly, "you vos a goot poy, villin' to learn, I see. Next
season, who knows, you might be leading man if you vork hardt. I bay
you now after one veek's trial, when I know petter vot you are vort,
hey?"
Winston carelessly nodded his acceptance of these rather indefinite
terms, his hands thrust into his pockets, his gray eyes smiling their
appreciation of the situation. Albrecht was deliberately looking him
over, as he might a horse he had just purchased.
"You are kinder slim to look at," he confessed at last, thoughtfully.
"Are you bretty strong?"
The younger man silently held forth his right arm to the inspection of
the other, who fingered the iron rigidity of muscle under the cloth
with evident respect.
"God of Yacob!" the manager muttered in unconcealed surprise, "it is
vonderful, and you such a slender young man to look at. I vos most
afraidt you could not do mein vork, but it is all right. You vill eat
mit us at the long table," he waved his hand indefinitely toward the
dining-room, "at 12:30, and then I valk mit you over py der Obera
House, und show you vat der is to be done mit dot scenery und dem
trunks. Mein Gott! it vos vonderful dot muscles vot you haf got--you
vould make a great Davy Crockett ven I learns you de business, mein
frient."
The manager's appreciation of his new acquisition was so clearly
evident that Winston felt compelled to notice it.
"I am rejoiced you appear so well satisfied," he said, rising to his
feet.
"Satisfied! Mein Gott," and the overjoyed Albrecht cordially clasped
the hand of his new recruit. "It vos a great season of luck for me,
mein frient. Dot Meess Norvell, she makes me mooch monies vile I shows
her how to be an actress,--oh, it vos yoost beautiful to see her
act,--und now you comes mit me also, und cares nottings for vot I bay
you, und I can see you haf der actor genius. Mein Gott! it vos too
goot to be true."
Winston broke away gladly, and drifted back toward the cigar stand,
where the mystified Tommy yet stood staring at him.
"Well, did you get it?" the latter questioned, grinning.
"Thomas," returned the other loftily. "You can hand me out another
cigar, and I will thank you not to be quite so familiar in the future.
I am now general utility man with the 'Heart of the World' company, and
consequently entitled to greater respect."