Joyce. "I'm not quite ready yet; will
be in a quarter of an hour."
"I won't mind waiting," returned Richard.
"Suppose you take a look around the place? I guess you've never seen
anything like this before."
"No, sir: and I'll look around gladly."
Richard stepped from the office to the lower floor of the warehouse.
The quantity of leather and hides on all sides filled him with wonder.
The place was several stories high, and was filled to overflowing with
material soon to be worked up into shoes, pocketbooks, belting, gloves,
baseball covers, and a thousand other articles for which this staple
material of trade is needed. Several heavy trucks were loading and
unloading at the doors, and the boy heard the workmen speak of a
consignment to Buffalo, and another to Boston, and of a shipload that
had just arrived from South America.
"It's a big business and no mistake," was Richard's conclusion. "I
guess a person would have to be here half a lifetime to learn all the
ins and outs of it."
When Richard returned to the office he found that Mr. Joyce had just
cleared his desk, and was leaning back in his chair.
The leather merchant motioned him to a seat.
"Well, what do you think of it?" he asked abruptly.
"You seem to be doing a big business," returned Richard.
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