Evening Star Newspaper, June 3, 1923, Page 80

Page views left: 0

You have reached the hourly page view limit. Unlock higher limit to our entire archive!

Subscribers enjoy higher page view limit, downloads, and exclusive features.

Text content (automatically generated)

|| Very Efficient Secretary Appears at I Turning Point in the Life of a Sales- man Who Was Facing Disaster. HE day in Millersburg had been a scorching one. John Hull, limp, perspiring, paused before the front of the Austen building. The address had been given him by Mr. McIntyre, sales manager of the New York office, as that of the great Austen-Thatcher Com- pany, manufacturers of harvesting machinery. He inspected the win- dows of the offices on the ground floor. On one side of the entrance door two lawyers held forth. On the other was the office of an insurance com- pany. He passed Inside. There was no elevator, no directory in the nar- row corridor, no janitor in evidence. Mr. Hull straightened his tall shoul- ders and began a search of the first floor corridor. The results were neg- atlve. He mounted to the second floor, inspecting the names on the doors. That of Mr. Austen was not among them. floor remained It was extremely important to Mr. Hull that he should see Mr. Austen and secure from him an order, before the expiration of the business day. Mr. McIntyre had intimated in his Jast letter that unless Mr. Hull “pro- duced” some contracts of importance by the end of the month his connec- tion with the Standard Asbestos Roofling Company would automat- fcally terminate. It was a distressing thought. It was like McIntyre to write him that. MecIntyre had wanted the po- sition of western representative for Tom Williams, who was his brother- in-law. But John Hull's talk with Mr. Shelby, the vice president, had been sufficiently convincing to secure him the coveted opportunity. And he had worked. There was no question about that, even though the resulting orders would scarcely serve to cover his expense account. Luck, it seemed, had been aga m. On the many plents he had visited during the past three months none were ready to do business. Orders for roofing had just been placed, were to be placed later, but—there was nothing in sight now. Mr. MciIntyre's letter had been writ- ten a week ago. It was now the 3lst of May. The day before had been a holiday. John realized that within the next half-hour he would have to secure a contract of respectable size or lose his position. The grimness of h le deepened as he reached the third-floor corridor and began an inspection of the doors which opened t was a pity, he reflected, that he was so late, but his unsuc- cessful Interview with the manager of the cement works had delayed him an hour longer than he had antici- pated summoned up all his en- ctermined to convince Mr. heer force of logic, that ndard asbestos roofing, needed it, could not, in fact, carry on his business successtully without it. Why talk of bad luck? It was only another name for inefficiency. * kK ¥ 1S inspection of the doors along H the forward part of the corridor was unsuccessful. the rear a young As he turned to woman emerged from an office at its far end and went toward the stairs. She was a very trim young woman, wearing a very trim skirt of white linen. In her hand she carried a number of letters. She was, Mr. Hull noted, very pretty—quite the prettiest girl he had seen in months. The mere sight of her filled him with new courage. A stenographer, or private secretary, he upon it sald to himself, noting the letters in; her hand. Instinctively he adjusted his wilted collar and tie. As the girl passed she gave him & quick, direct look. She did not smile, there was no suggestion of flirta- tiousness in her manner, and vet, in some intangible way, John sensed that her look In passing had not been devold of interest. Again he straightened his shoulders, mopped the perspiration from his brow. As half-back on his college team, he had known many girls who had con- sidered him worthy of a second look. It was pleasant, at this crisis in his career, to be reminded of it. With added confidence he resumed his ex- amination of the remaining doors. Five of them failed the name of Mr. Austen. The sixth and last bore on its glass front no name whatever. It was the door from which the young woman in the white linen skirt had emerged a few moments before. In desperation, Mr. Hull pushed it open, went in. There was no one in the outer of- fice, but a white linen coat hanging from a hook told its own story. Through an open doorway he saw a handsome, elderly gentleman sitting at a large flat-topped desk. Was it Mr. Austen? Happily no private secretary was present to bar his way. He swung open the little gate In the wooden railing. “Will you kindly tell me where I can find Mr. James Austen?’ he asked. The gentleman at the desk glanced up with a smile. 5 “I am Mr. James Austen,” he said pleasantly. ‘“What can I do for you?" John concealed his elation with an effort.. James Austen, president of the great Austen-Thatcher Manu- facturing Company, whose agricul- tural implements were known the world over, receiving him as court- eously as though he had been a valued friend! Well—really big men were always simple, he reflected, glancing about the handsomely furn- ished office. Mr. Austen motioned to a chair. “I represent the Standard Asbestos Roofing Company,” John sald, placing 2 card upon the desk. “We had some correspondence with you last year. I have called in the hope of interest- ing you in our standard waterproof, fireproof, decayproof covering for factory bulldings. The fire under- writers are ready to make substantial reductions in insurance rates, as you see from these figures. We guarantee our product for ten years. It is light, durable, easily applied. The price is a little higher than that of the or- dinary tar and gravel roof, but the saving in insurance, the longer serv- ice, will more than offset the dif- ference, as you will see from these testimonials from other users of our product. As a civil engineer I am prepared to submit you estimates for the work. complete, although our roofing can be applied by you! own en If you prefer it.” He lald down @ sample section, “If your company Only the third and last, s any work of this nature in pros- pect, it will pay you In the long ru to give the business to us." Mr. Austen bent the pliable, elastic composition’ between his fingers. “Very good—very good indeed,” he sald. 1 looked into the matter thoroughly last year. What is your price per hundred square feet, laid in place?" John gave the figures, his heart leaping with joy. Something in Mr. Austen’s manner told him that he was about to secure an order. Briefly, succinctly he made his points, Mr. Austen nodding affirmatively as each one went home. “We are about to enlarge our plant by erecting three new buildings,” he said, when John had finished. “I estimate the roof area at approx- imately a million square feet. I am convinced that your roofing is what we want, and I am prepared to give you the order.” ® %k % ¥ JOH.\’ HULL swallowed hard. His throat seemed suddenly parched. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before, although he had fre- quently dreamed of such a scene during long, dusty hours on railroad trains. A million square feet! One of the largest single orders the Standard had evér booked! He drew trom his potket a duplicate contract form and with trembling fingers filled in the blanks with his fountain pen. “One million square feet, more or less—laid in place—work to begin —to be completed—contract price.” Hastily finishing his task he handed the agreement to Mr. Austen. It all seemed too good to be true. He wondered if some unforeseen catastrophe—an earthquake, an alarm of fire, would vet snatch the coveted order from his grasp. Mr. Austen read the contract through carefully and signed it. “I will leave the copy as a memo- randum,” John said, placing the signed document in his pocket. “Our home office will confirm the order at once.” He rose, eager to get away. “I thank you with all my heart, Mr. Austen,” he éxclaimed, extending his hand. “This order means a great deal to me. And I may say that I shall personally supervise the work and see that it is carried out to your entire satisfaction. Good day.” “Good day.” Mr. Austen rose offering a cigar. “It has been a pleasure, Mr. Hull, to do business with you. ‘Look in whenever you are in the neighbor- hood. 1 shall always be glad to see you." John took the cigar and fled. On the stairs he passed the girl in the white linen skirt, but he scarcely | noticed her, so eager was he to get back to the hotel to wire Mr. Me- Intyre. The night letter he dispatched held a note of triumph cured contract for roofing three new bulldings. Austen-Thatcher Company approximately one milllon square feet at standard prices, work to be- gin July, see letter enclosing signed |order which please confirm imme- diately Mr. James Austen, address | Austen Butlding Millersburg. This pleasant duty fulfilled, John '1it Mr. Austen’s excellent cigar and penned a short, precise and very dig- nified letter to Mr. MclIntyre, inclos- ing the precious document signed by Mr. Austen and giving a few addi- tional details. Then he proceeded to dress, He had just splashed through a cold bath and replaced his dusty business sdit with one of gray flan- nel when the telephone bell rang. A young lady wished to see him, the clerk at the’ desk sald. She was waiting in the ladies’ parlor. Would he be down soon? Mystified, John replled thdt he would. Who could be calling on him, he wondered? He knew no young ladies—at least—at least not in Millersburg. Was this his lucky day? Was adventure knocking at his door? There had been a charming bright- eyed young person at the offices of the Routson Chemical Company who had smiled enticingly at him, even while informing him that Mr. Rout- son was too busy to be seen. Well— the night was a festive one. His suc- cess deserved some sort of celebra- tion. He felt llke telling some one about it—the hotel clerk, if no one else proved available. It would be intolerable to dine alone on this night of nights, to spend the evening in the hot solitude of his room, or the hotel lobby. He descended to the ladies’ parlor, filled with pleasurable anticipations. * X ¥ * HE room contained but a single person, a girl, who came toward him with an air of hesitation, She wore a white linen suit. What could Mr. Austen’s secretary want with him? A faint, premonitory chill ran down his back. “Mr. Hull?" the girl worrled look in her eyes. “Yes. I am Mr. Hull. What can I do for you?”’ His manner was en- couraging, in spite of his fears. “I am Helen Burnett, from Mr. Austen’s office. He—I—there is some- thing I must tell you” Her embar- rassment ‘increased. “Suppose we sit down.” John waved toward a sofa, his knees trembling. Was anything wrong? “You—you accepted an order from Mr. Austen this afternoon,” she went on, drawing & folded document from her handbag, “for a million square feet of roofthg.” “I aid. Wired it in to our home office over &n hour ago. Why?" Miss Burnett gazed at him with a troubled frown. “I'm so sorry,” she whispered. “If I could only have reached you be- fore.” “But,” John gasped, puszzled, “if there are any changes Mr. Austen would like to have made in the con- tract, I could—" “It fsn't that. Mr. James Austen is not the president of the Austen- Thatcher Company. He is no longer connected with it. He had no right to give you that order.” John Hull's heart slipped gently down into his boots. No right to give him the order! The thing was incredible. “I don’t understand,” he protested. “Why did he allow me to think he had? Why did he sign it?” The girl hesitated. To reply seem- ed difficult. Finally she spoke. “Mr., Austen’s mind became affect- ed some months ago. He had over- worked—worried too much about his business, the doctors said. But his —his aberration took a peculiar form. He insisted on going ahead with his inquired, a “Have se- | | going over old files—cost sheets and | that ere { for a long time. L] L] affairs as’ though nothing had hap- pened. He could not be persuaded to give up his responsibilities—his work. When his family attempted to keép him at home he became violent. The business, he sald, would go to rufn’ without him. Worrying so much about it, you see, had made him think that. In other ways he is qulte sane. Finally the doctors advised hif people to humor him, so an office was fixed up in the Austen bullding—that was where the company's offices used to be before they were moved out to JOHN, BUBBLING OVER WITH HAPPINE! the plant, at Glendale—and he comes down every day and spends his time the like—writing Imagin letters never mailed—issuing imag- orders that are never carried out. It has made him very happy In fact, the doctors say it has kept him alive—saved his life. “I'm his seoretary—his nugge, you might say I'm supposed to be with him all th time, to prevent such mistakes as the one which happened today. There is an office boy, too, although he isn't a boy at all, but a middle-aged man, who has been In Mr. Austen's employ | Whenever I am out | he takes charge—sends away any one who calls. But no one ever does. | There 1s no name on the door, you | know. It was because we are S0 seldom disturbed that I felt safe in| leaving Mr Austen alone for a few minutes this afternoon. I ought not to have done it without Wylie—that's the man I spoke of—being there, but he was feeling badly today—the heat, I suppose—so I let him go home, after lunch. And during those fe moments that I was out, as luck would have it, you came in. I passed you in the hall, you remember, and looked st you. Hull remembe ed it very w hesitated inary { on the doo: | for a moment, when I saw you, but concluded that you were going to one of the other offices on the floor. Whatever made you come to ours? The main offices of the company were moved out to the factory at Glen- dale months ago.” * k% % OHN 'HULL stared at the dingy roses which bespattered the carpet. His joy Had turned to ashes. “It was the address given me by our home office. We had some corre- spondence with Mr. Austen last year. Our sales manager should have known of the change, of course.” That the mistake hed been Mr. MelIntyre's did not make his position al the easier. But the company’s name was not " Miss Burnett objected. But I was told to see Mr. Austen personally. Al our corre- sndence had been with him. He 1 entire charge, T was Informed, of the company’s affairs.” “He did have, until his mind gave way. That was what broke him down—trying to run everything the way he used to do, when the plant covered one acre, instead of forty. It is a most unfortunate mistake. I blame myself for it. When he gave me the contract to flle—your card—I realized at once what had happened. I came as soon as I could. I would have come before, but I had to take Mr. Austen home. If I had only got here in time to stop your wire to New York!" < Her distress was pathetic. “I wish you had. When I tell Mr. Meclntyre—he's our sales manager, you know——that the deal is oft—that I've taken an order from a crazy man—he'll think I'm crazy, too. And 1 shouldn't blame him. Of course, 1 ought to have gone to the factory “I Know. SPOKE OF HIS PLANS, HIS FUTURE, Rr Wi No brains, no dumbbell! Well, finish so far as the Standard Asbestos Roofing Company is concerned.” Some laugh they'll have on me, at the of- fice.” He smiled whimsically. “No use, though, in crying over spilt milk, is there? What we've got to do now is to straighten cverything out 50 that you won't be blamed for it “Oh—don’t think about me. T can never forgive myself." Nonsense. It wasn't your fault. Don't give it a moment's thought. The mistake was entirely mine. But if You think you owe me any repara- tion, there's one thing you can do—" “What? It I can help in any way. “You can. Tlktell you how. Take dinner with me, tonight, and then go somewhere—where there's music and dancing—things like that—afterward. You see, I'd planned a little celebra- tion in honor of that million square feet order. It meant a lot to me— more than you will ever know. After the shock I've just had, I feel tiat I need someone to cheer me up. I'm a stranger in a strange town. Don't know a soul. I had almost made up my mind to get chummy with the hotel clerk.” He laughed dismally. “Won't you take pity on me Burnett inspected him with a brains! A perfect 1 guess this is my ! | lickea:? grave smile. In his gray flannels, his buckskin tles, his appearance was distinctly pleasing. “Very well,” she sald at length. “I shall-have to telephone, first. But— what are you going to do about this order?" She placed the agreement in his hands. “Nothing—tonight. They won't get 1Arun BROW M == AS THOUGH HE FULLY EXPECTED HER TO SHARE THEM. my wire until tomorrow, anyway. It was a night letter. And in the morn- ing I'm going out to Glendale and | see the real president of the com- pany.” He gave her a confident smile. “By the way, you don't happen to know his name, do you?" “Yes., It's Mr. Thatcher. And I think you are wonderful, to take it the way you do.” “Nonsense. Wasn't it Grant who said that he never knew when he was That's the way I feel. I'm going out to Glendale tomorrow and sell Mr. Thatcher some roofing if I have to blackjack him to do it. It won't be a million feet, but I hope it will be something. Then I'll wire New York and correct the mistake. “Splendid! I haven't any use for a quitter. And I happen to know, from something I've overhead, that the Austen-Thatcher Company is going to build an addition to its plant. That's what poor Mr. Austen had in his mind when he gave you that order. I don't know anything about roofs,” she add- ed shyly, "but I should think it might be a chance." “Thanks! Of course it will be! Mr. Hull was very gay. A fine woman—a woman of brains, of character, he thought, as his eyes met hers. And charming, Why be downhearted, Ring Lardner Opens Warfare For New Rules of Etiquette O the editor: We are now bor- dering on the head end of the convention season and the dho- tel owners in Detroit and At- lantic City where practally all the conventions Is held are preparing for same by hireing extra house detec- tives and putting a padlock on there soap and towels. Well I don't belong to nothing and don’t expect to tend none of the con- ventions all ready Scheduled but will take this opportunity to tell my friends and admires that I would gladly be a delegate to & convention where something tseful would be ac- complished in addition to getting boiled, namely a convention to dis- gust and alter the code of etiquette as now practiced and a specially the rules that governs table manners be- sides a gouple that governs the atti- tude of Man towards what is laugh- ingly referred to as the fair sex. 1t they’s enough people thinks like I do along these lines I don't see no reason why we can't all get together either at the City of Straits or Amer- ica's Playground as I have dubbed them apd fix up a new code with some sence to it and do away with some of the regulations, which is not only silly but borders on ths ridicu- lous and {s rapidly makeing residence of tite earth the laughing stalk of the solar system. Let us take table manners and I will state some of my Idears in re- gards to needed changes and one of the first that comes to mind is the Soup Rule which has been appealed to the Soupreme Court without get- ting & rumble and the rule I refer to is the rule which makes it a perev- nial offence to tip up your scup dish 50 as to get all the soup. They ain't no man or woman living that can pick up all there soup from a flat lie using only a spoon and the result is that from 1-10 to 1-2'a inch is always left laying in the bottom of the dish which is plane waste as the most economical Jap in the world can't do nothing with left ‘over soup only throw 1t in the msh m‘ $ A convention of right thinking Americans would step on the Soup Rule and make it permissible to tip the dish to any safe and reasonable angle so as to satisfy a legal thirst for a good sound non-alcohollc bev- erage. * x % * HE next rule that is in dire need of alterations is the rule in re- gards to bread and butter. According to the code in usages In exclusive Great Neck homes it is O.K. to take “THE RULE THAT FORBIDS A GENTLEMAN FROM HANGING UP THE RECEIVER TILL THE LADY SAYS GOOD-BYE.” a whole chunk of toast and smear it with butter or any good substitute but when it comes to plane bread why then you half to break it in a couple pleces- and lay the pieces om your bread and butter pfite. which is genally always a full arms leAgth away and smear them wile they lay there, but you mustent smear the both of them’at once: but just.the.plece which you pick out to start in on. The theory In back of this rule is that maybe you won’t want only the one plece and if you leave the other one unbuttered why it can be savaged and maybe used dureing the following wk. in the kiddles' pudding. . That is the theory and all guests recognizes It but when they follow - it out it is just the same'like saying | cause many a broken heart. to the house wife you are a cheap ERSONLY, when I get a Invitation to dinner, unlest it comes from some right minded hostess like Kate Hollis for inst, why I reply with a well modulated but firm No as I don't enjoy a evening of bridge with a headache for a partner. This will maybe exclaim why I re. tuse so many invitations and perhaps Now in regards to a couple of rules skate and further and more wile a|governing man and woman. To state person may get through with one but- ) the matter briefly on acct. of the late- tering. operation unscathed, it is too | ness of the hr. I would ask the con- much to expéct to do it twice and |vention keep vour sleeves there natural color. | rules: The convention would give this rule the air and advocates the free and wnlimited smearing of whole pieces of bread either held in the hand or laid on the table which ever makes the greatest appeal. The convention would ask to change the following 1. The rule which compels a per- fect gentleman to get up and give a lady his seat on & subway or elevated train or st car. A great many perfect gentlemen is floor walkers and bar- bers, & job where you half to be on 10T} your £¢. all day. A great many ladles waivers on the finger bowl which | 7°0 o 1 graphers and very few of ain't proved no casa and should be|.n.; goes there typewriting standing throwed out of court. In the first place when the hostess allows finger bowls to be past around she as much tells you outright that you have been fondling a second joint with bare hands or that they's a rellc of mushroom sauce on the lower lip. A man with a drop of red he-blood in there veins resents this and per- sonly my fingers has yet to sully themselfs by straying into a finger bowl and will state without bragging that I always leave the table with hands practally as clean as when I set down unlest of course they was corn or steam clams or something and in the last named case nothing hort of a bath tub will relieve the situation. Under the present regime mine hostess, without I, yes or no from the guests, takes it for granted' shat a man can get along on & 1-2 demi- tasse of coffee and wait till a 1-4 after 9 for same. : The convention would compel all hostesses to find out at the start of the 'meal if theys any real coffee stews amongst her guests and treat up. More gents than ladies deserves a seat and the rule should ought to be fixed so as when a dame gets on a car shé must state the nature of her employment. Jf she has got a setting down job let her ride home on a strap. This amendment would be more than justice on the grounds that if it was not for men everybody would half to walk home, at lease I never heard of a traction system being built by the hands that rocks the cradld. 2. The rule which forbids a gentle- man from hanging up the receiver till the lady says good-by. All that is ever necessary for & gent and lady to say to each other can certainly be said in 3 minutes at the outside but the way it is now the average tele- phone conversation between the 2 sexs lasts from 30 minutes to a 1-2 a hr. because the lady in question ain’t got nothing else to do and hates to give in and the only party that bene- fits by the rule is the telephone com- pany and the last I heard about them, they don’t need no benefits. RING W. LARDNER. with so delightful an evening before him? He had faced worse situations in France. The mythical order he had sent.in would give him at least one day’s grace, Tomorrow, anything might happen. He rose. “The tele- phone’is in the lobby, Miss Burnett. Here's a nickel, if you haven't ot one handy.” * k k% . HEIR evening together proved to be one of the pleasantest John Hull had ever experienced. In spite of the disappointment which gnawed at his heart, he larghed as joyfully as though Mclntyre no longer existed.’ Miss Burnett laughed with him, eager to make him forget. A perfect @anéer, he sald to himself, as they swept over the polished floor. What 2 pity the contract was not going through. As englneer in charge of the work, he would have been obliged to stay in Millersburg for weeks. It would have enabled him to see her frequently. An unusual girl, quite unlike most stenographers he had met, Witty, intelligent, well-read— a woman in a thousand. And aston- ishingly considerate. When, at half- past eleven, he sought to escort her home she refused to permit it. “I live away out in the suburbs” she said. “It would take you an hour or more, both ways, and you wouldn't get to bed until after 1 o'clock. Don’t forget you have a hard day shead of you. Just put me on the car and Il be quite all right All the conductors know me. ‘And I et offt at' my door. Good-night. And good luck with Mr. Thatcher. Call me up, after you've seen him, and let me know how you get along.” John remonstrated, insisting that she ought not to go home alone, but she only smiled. He watched her car out of sight, his heart very joy- ous. A woman in a milllon. Just the sort to Inspire a fellow—make him win success. He went to his room and spent an hour preparing a detatled statement of the advantages and savings to be secured by the use of Standard asbestos roofing. It would be a good thing to show to Mr. Thatcher the next morning. * X ¥ ¥ T was barely 9 o'clock when he reached the offices of the big i plant at Glendale, prepared to make the selling talk of his life. The brisk young man who took his card returned with the information that Mr. Thatcher was dictating, but would see him in half an hour. This, John thought, was encouraging. Presidents of large corporations, he had discovered, were usually more difficult to see. The half-hour passed. Then the brisk young man appeared, conducted him to a large, pleasant office. In it sat two men. One of them, a keen- eyed, well groomed individual of forty, extended his hand. 'm Mr. Thatcher,” he said. “Meet Mr. Sims, our chief engineer. Simms, this is Mr. Hull, representing the Standard Asbestos Roofing Company. We might be interested i3 his product, If it meets our requirements. Sup- pose you go over the matter with him and make me a report.” Mr. Simms rose, led the way to an- other office. For an hour and a half John was subjected to a merciless fire of questions régarding the advan- tages and disadvantages of asbestos roofing. Thanks to a clear head, and a thorough knowledge of the subject, he was able to answer them without difficulty. The figures he had pre- pared the night before proved the truth of his claim. It was gratifying to deal with a brother engineer, they spoke the same language. “It is true that the first cost of our roofing s greater,” he concluded, “but it costs more because it is better— not because we are asking exorbitgnt profits. There are other good roofing materials on the market, but when you take into consideration the sav- ings, the advantages I have pointed out, I defy you to name one that is better or cheaper in the long run. It simply can’t be done.” Mr. Simms looked up from his notes and smiled. “I will take the matter up with Mr. Thatcher,” he said, “and let you know this afternoon. Come in after lunch —say about 3 o'clock. Our plans for the new bufldings"—he indicated a mass of blueprints—“called for a dif- ferent type of roof, but the figures you have presented are interesting. At 3 o'clock, then. And suppose you leave me one of your contract forms, contalning the guarantee clause of which you spoke.” John laid the blank form on Simms’ desk and went out. He made a good impression, at least. the hotel a laconic wire from Mr. Mc- Intyre confronted him. “Report this office immediately.” It must have been sent after the receipt of his night letter. What did it mean? Had Mr. Mclntyre found out—had he, in- deed, known all along—that Mr. James Austen was not the president of the Austen-Thatcher Co., and had no au- thority to place orders on its behalf? 1f so, John reflected, he might be accused of something more serious than madness—of downright dis- honesty, In not having corrected at once the mistake he had made—in pretending to business he knew to be Mr. had At fraudulent. His luncheon was a dis- mal one, but he kept up his courage and thought of Miss Burnett. Not a line would he send to MeclIntyre until after he had seen Mr. Thatcher at 3 o'clock. At the stroke of the hour Je again sent in his card. * There was a shrewd twinkle in Mr. Thatcher's grey eyes as he greeted his caller and took up a tabulated report. Mr. Hull” he said briskly, “we find that it will cost our company ap- proximately $9,000 more to install your roofing than it would to make use of the material called for in our plans. . The merits of the two are about the same. v should we pay your company that $9,0007" “Because our roof is more durable,” John said promptly. He knew, from his talk with Mr. Simms, what the competing material wa: “Then you will not reduce your fig- ures?” Mr. Thatcher laid the report on his desk with an alr of finality. “No, sir.”” John's dream of an order began to fade, but he stiffened his courage and Taced Mr. Thatcher with no suggestion of defeat. “I have named you our standard price. It represents actual cost, plus a fair profit.' You can buy a cheaper roof, just as you might buy a cheaper pair of shoes™ glanced at Mr. Thatch- . BY FREDERIC ARNOLD KUMMER er's expensive, made-to-order ties— “but they would cost you more in the long run. And we guarantee the life of our product, which your shoemaker doesn’t. Nine thousand dollars on, say, a million feet of roofing is only nine-tenths of a’cent per square foot. One additional year of wear would more than offset {t. Our roof will give you many times that additional wear. We guarantes it. ‘How?" Mr. Thatcher asked, curtly. “By replacing, at our own expense. any materfal which falls to give per- fect satisfaction during the guarantee period. Our product is a standard product, Mr. Thatcher. We stand back of it.” “What would your guarantee be worth, Mr. Hull, {f your company should fall?" John rose and stepped to Mr. Thatcher's desk. The light of battle flared in his eyes. “Our company isn't golng to fail he exclaimed. “But I want this bus ness and I mean to have it. Give me the order and I will have the com- pany's guarantee backed up by 2 surety company's bond.” The twinkle in Mr. Thatchers eyes deepened. He took up a pen. “Young man, that's a fair proposi- tion.” He Inserted some words in the contract, then signed it. “Have this confirmed by your home office and the business is yours.” * x ox * ‘OHN thanked him and groped his way out. Hlis sudden success left him dazed, the more 8o when & glance at the contract revealed the fact that it called for a million and a half feet, instead of a million. Mr. Shelby would be delighted, whatever Mr. MclIntyre's feelings might be. Con- cerning the bond, he felt no doubts. The Standard Asbestos Roofing Com- pany never quibbled, when the repu- tation of its products was at stake. No need to wire the office now—he would report In person, as Mr. Meln- tyre had instructed. He could scarcely walit to tell Miss Burnett the good news. She had given him her number, informing him that it was not listed in the telephone directory. A moment later he heard her cool voice over the wire. “Oh, Miss Burnett!” he exclaimed, with a note of exultation. “I got the order! A milllan and a half square feet! I'm leaving for New York at 9 o'clock tonight. And I simply must see you before I go. Have dinner with me again, won't you? Please.” He laughed joyously as she gave her consent. Thelr dinner together the night be- fore had been a pleasant one, but this occasion partook of the nature of a ficsta. John, bubbling over with happiness, spoke of his plans, his future, as though he fully expected her to share them. | “I'll be back In a few days,” he ex- plained over their ices, “and later on, when the work is under way, I'll have to make Millersburg my headquarters, of course. And before I go, there's something I'd like you to know"— he laid his hand over hers—'"some- thing T'd like you to think about, while I'm away. I don’t want to de- prive Mr. Austen of your services as his secretary, but—I think I'm golng to need you more than he does; And not as a secretary either. You see, I | —I've never met a girl I've felt to- ward the way I feel toward you. You're—wonderful. So if you could see your way clear to—to—" “I'm afrald you couldn't deprive Mr. Austen of my services,” Miss Bur- nett laughed, her eyes very gay. “You see, I—I'm not there any more.” “You mean they've discharged you? Because of that mistake? The con- founded- “No, it isn't that,” she interrupted. “I ought to have told you. I was only there as a—a substitute. The regular nurse was away for a few days. She comes back tomorrow.” “You poor child.” He pressed her hand eagerly. “Don't let it worry you a bit. When we are marrie: = Again she laughed, her eyes gayer than ‘ever. “You—you really want to marry a —stenographer?” “lI want to marry you—the finest woman I've ever met. Of course, I haven't so much to offer right now, but with this new order my future is made. And I owe it to you. You'll never realize how much your belng with me last night meant. I felt when 1 went to see Mr. Thatcher to- day that I simply couldn't fall. Now that you're out of 2 job and every- thing, I want you to feel encouraged, too. Let's face things together from now on? We'll have money enough to be happy, and that's all anybody can be, no matter how much money they have. No; don’t give me your answer now. Wait until I come back. And please try to say—yes."” ““When you come back.” Miss Bur- hett drew away her hand. The mys- tery of her eyes told John nothing, except that ghich we had sald had not displeased her. An astonishing woman In every way. She could not accompany him to the train, she said —her people would be expecting her. Much to his disgust, John was obliged to make his farewells in the unromantic glare of the hotel lobby. The long line of sleepers had scarcely swept out of the station when he re- membered that he had omitted to ask her address. A letter would reach her, no doubt, in Mr. Austen's care. He immediately began to compose one. * * x % R. JAMES THATCHER, having finished an excellent dinner, was sitting in his library reading the evening papers when Helen Burnétt came in. He glanced up with a quiz- zical smile. “Well, Helen,” he asked, “what mischief have you been up to mow? Dinner's begn over for an hour.” She sat on the arm of his chair and began to rumple his mop of graying hair. “Uncle Jim,” she said, “what did you think of that young man I sent out to the plant to see you today lb&ul l_}-:;‘rzonn‘ Cflh&rl‘:l?" r. atcher smiled, the a twinkle still in his eyes. oy “The one your grandfather gave the order to? Why, I liked him first rate. Plenty of brains. And cour- age, too. I gave him the contract— not because you asked me to, but be- cause he deserved it. Tried to biuft him and couldn’t. 'He'll. make his way if I'm any judge of men. But why this sudden interest in his af- fairs? What difference does nis suc- cess make to you?" Helen leaned over and kissed her, uncle squarely on the nose. \ “Why, you dear old goose, she laughed, ‘T'm going to marry him.” (Copyright, 1028.)

Other pages from this issue: