The Democratic advocate., 1908-06-05
Saving the
Company.
By CARLETON HAZARD.
Copyrighted, 1908, by Associated
Literary Press.

though by magic the crooked places
were made straight.
So quietly did the girl slip into the
routine of the Office and so unostenta-
tiously did she accomplish results that
Arthur Bradley did not realize all that
she was doing. He had only the pleas.
ant feeling that at last the Office was
running straight, and, manlike, he took
the credit to himself.
1t had been a struggle to get the Of
fee going at all, for the firm was IN
opposition to the trust, and everything
possible was done to break up the
newly established branch Office.
More than once Bradley had narrow
IL escaped some trap laid for him, but
kor every blow struck at him he gave
back as good. The letters from the
home Office were encouraging and init
mated that If he would round out the
first year there would be an increase
of salary as well as the present Of a
block of stock.
The biggest feather in his cap was
When the home Office turned over to
him the task of securing contract for
some 100000 worth Of material.
''Such big contracts are usually han
died from the home Office" he explain
ed to Alice Fuller as he gave her the
letter with instructions to place it in
The private letter file in the safe. IF
they turn this matter over to me 1t is a
Sign that they have faith in my judg-
ment. It's going to be ticklish mat
ter to figure on all that material at a
price that will be low enough to cap
ture the contract and still give us as
much Of profit as possible"
"They probably realize that you are
close to the contract, and they know
that they can trust you," answered
Alice. 'It shows that this branch is
becoming important"
She went quietly about her work,
but there was a happy light in her
eyes, for she was as much pleased at
this sign of confidence as was Bradley
himself
Alice was not girl Of impulses, but
she had come to have more than lik-
ing for Bradley, and she took pride
in his success.
The week that followed was busy
one Bradley figured far into the
night on the problems Of cost, and each
morning he gave to Alice the results of
his work, to be tabulated on the ma
chine and filed in the safe until the
figures should be complete. 1t was
weary work with all the specifications
and blanks, but at last the estimate
was complete, and Bradley took it on
to New York in person for the ap-
proval Of the home Office.
He was jubilant on his return. The
president Of the company had congrat-
ulated him on the excellence of his
work and had hinted that the new
London office might be opened soon
with Bradley in charge.
But the jubilation was short lived,
for two days later long letter came
from the New York Office instructing
the branch to alter the estimates in
accordance with a set of figures some
10 per cent in advance of the original
estimate.
Here's a job for you," growled
Bradley as he took the paper to
Alice's desk. "I'll have to do as the
home office says, but it's throwing
away the contract and my chance of
promotion"
care you certain that it is the order
of the New York office? asked Alice
as she took up the sheets. You know
that this contract will mean a great
deal to the trust If they are able to
take it away from us. 1t means q
great deal more to us to retain it,
That's just it," complained Bradley.
"They know that if we lose this con-
tract we lose our fight for an independ-
ent existence and shall have to sell out
to the trust at their own price. If we
get it, it will mean that we can beat
them and held our own. Yet they
raise my figures"
"And it would be worth q great eff
fort to beat u.s. went on Alice. Sup
pose that the trust people had some
one planted in TIC hone Office who
could copy the figures and send them
to the trust officers. Suppose, too,
that they supplied the people with our
letter heads and envelopes. We would
accordance with instructions. only to
find out that we had been duped after
the bids had been opened and the con-
tract awarded to the trust. 1 think
you will find that they have bid only
slightly lower than this, but much
higher than your original figures"
"That's possible" admitted Bradley.
''I'll wire the home Office and find out"
"And warn the traitor in the Office
that his plans have been discovered"
reminded Alice. "They will then bid
below your figures and get the contract
anyway. 1t would be best to hold on
and take chances by yourself. 1t will
be the only way to hold the contract"
''If l only could be sure" exclaimed
Bradley. But I can't act on mere
guesswork."
"This is something more than guess
work." insisted Alice. "In the first
place, this letter is mailed from the
Madison square station. That is in the
building in which the trust has its
main office. Our letters all come from
the Wall street station, four or five
miles away and nearest our office.
They are using the same make Of
typewriter President Hammond's ste
nographer uses, but it is not the same
machine. On the letters from our Of
fee there Is a piece broken from the
cross of every t."
81 think you are rightv' cried Brad