The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-22
THE EVENING STORY
Swing che Coznpany.
(By Carleton Hazard.

After a long line of incompetent
stenographers Bradley congratulated
himself when Alice Fuller took her
place at the typewriter desk. and as
though by magic the crooked places
| We're made straight.
So quietly did the girl slip into the
routine Of the Office. and 30 unosten-
tatlously did she accomplish results.
tnat Arthur Bradley did not realize
all that she was doing. He had only
| the pleasant feeling that at last the
office was running straight, and, man
| like, he took the credit to himself.
It had been struggle to get the
| onlce going at all, for the firm was in
opposition to the trust. and every
| thing possible was done to break up
the newly established branch office.
More than once Bradley had mar
| roWly escaped some trap laid for him
but for every blow struck at him he
gave back as good. The letters from
and intimated that il he would round
out the first year there would be an
increase of salary, as we'll as the pres
ent of a block of stock
| The biggest feather in his cap was
when the home office turned over to
him the task OF securing q contract
for some 100000 worth of ma
terial.
''such big contracts are usually
handled from the home office" he ex-
pldAueQ TO Alice EuileF as ne gave nGE
the letter with instructions to place
it in the private letter file in the safe.
''If they turn this matter over to me
| it is sign that they have faith In
my judgment It's going to be tick
| lish matter to figure on all that ma
terial at a price that will be low
| enough to capture the contract and
still give US as much OF a profit as
possible"
''They probably realize that you are
close to the contract and they know
that they can trust you.' answered
Alice. cit shows that this branch 10
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 moro than
a liking for Bradley and she took a
pride in his success.
| The week that followed was a busy
one. Bradley figured far into the
night on the problems of cost, and
leach morning he gave to Alice the re-
suits OF his work, to be tabulated on
the machine and filed in the safe un-
/ til the figures should be complete. 1t
was weary work with all the specih-
cations and blanks, but at last the es-
innate was complete, and Bradley
took it on to New York in person for
the approval of the home office.
He was iubilant on his return. The
| president OF the company had con-
| graduated him on the excellence OF
| his work, and had limited that the new
London office might be opened soon
| with Bradley in charge.
But the jubilatfon was short-lived.
| for two days later a long letter came
from the New York office instructing
the branch to alter the estimates in
accordance with set of figures some
| 10 per cent in advance of the original
/ estimate.
Here's job for .you." growied
Bradley as he took the paper to
Alice's desk. "I.n have to do as the
home office says. but Its throwing
away the contract and my chance OF
promotion"
Are you certain that it is the or
der 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 II they are able
| to take it away from us. It means
great deal more to us to retain it,
That's just it," complained Brad
ley. ''They know that II we lose this
contract, We lose our fight for an in
dependent existence and shall have to
sell out to the trust at their own
price II we get 1t 1t will mean that
we can beat them and hold our own.
Yet they raise my figures"
fort to beat u.s." went on Alice.
Suppose that the trust people had
some one planted in the home office
who could copy your figures and send
them to the trust officers; suppose.
with our letterheads and envelopes.
We would be unsuspfcious and
change the bid in accordance with in
structions, only to find out that we
had been duped after the bids had
hn d.
ed to the trust I think you will md
that they have bid only slightly lower
than this, but much higher than your
original figures"
That's possible" admitted Brad
ley .I'n wire the home office and
And OUT
"And warn the traitor in the office
that his plans have been discovered =
reminded Alice. 'They will then bid
below your figures ana get the con
hold on and take chances by your
self 1t will be the only way to hold
the contract"
IF only could be sure" exclaimed
Bradley. But I can't act on mere
.-rhis is something more than
first place. this letter is mailed from
the Madison square station This 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 Of |
fice. They are using the same make |
of typewriter President Hammond's
stenographer uses, but It is not the |
same machine. On the letters from |
our office there is q piece broken
from the cross OF every t.
at think you are right" cried |
BRADLEY as he compared two letters. |
"We'H pop in the original estimate.
and when they come to open the bids
out our first friends will have dozen
fits"
.But answer this letter and say
that changes have been made In the
hid in accordance with Instructions