"Leave? Oh, you think I--" He laughed at the gloomy expression on my
face. "Now that you mention it, Bill, you _are_ leaving. I've had you
in mind for the Venusian Branch. We need a good man there to get things
organized. You're taking over on the first."
I had another picture in my hand to tear up, but my heart was making
flip-flops. Manager of the Venusian Branch! Why, that meant I'd be able
to offer Margie a real home!
"Uh--Mr. Ames," I said, "Margie and I are in love. We want to get
married."
He shrugged, his face suddenly gloomy. "Margie's told me that, Bill.
But her mother--Well, you're not blind. You know how much say so
I--Hey, don't tear _those_ up!"
* * * * *
The yell was so sudden and unexpected that I jumped and dropped the
rack from which I'd been peeling the pictures while we talked. I'd torn
up only a few.
Fleming Ames picked up the rack, his eyes gleaming. He looked it over
eagerly and picked off four pictures. I walked around to see which they
were, and grinned as I suddenly understood.
One was Mrs. Ames seated with her feet on the coffee table smoking
a big black cigar. Another was Mrs. Ames, her hair in wild disarray
and her mouth open, trying to swim across the room. A third was Mrs.
Ames--but why go into details?
"Bill," said Mr. Ames, his face happier than I'd ever seen it before,
"your wedding day is next Saturday. And that's from a man who
knows--from the present and future boss of the Ames household. And you
can take my new space-cruiser for your honeymoon."
He stood up and stuck out his hand and I shook it.
"And Bill," he added wistfully. "If you should stop on any planetoids,
and see any peculiar-looking species of lichen--"