The Washington herald., 1916-05-14
SECOND STORY.
THE TIGHT REIN.

In jeremiah McCalls great factory at
Leaping River, it was estimated that a
pair OF shoes was turned out every seven
and a half seconds. The big rolls of
lcather-dry nfeIcss skins OF cattle. goats
and horses-came in at one end Of the
plant, and passed out at the other as the
finished article. millions OF them, shining,
lacQuerCd. complete in neat paStebOard
boxes.
conversely, the factory took hundreds
Of yOuus girls. Checry-Chceked, bright
eyed. glossy haired, bursting with youth,
and turned them into dry. lifeless old
women. lcathCry of face and leathery OF
soul.
Among the new applicants for work
tho raw material of the system-one day
cam" Amy Prentice. 1t happened to be
a day i'm April-a tricksy day with big.
white clouds sailing laziIy over the bluest
kinG Of sky. and a warm, soft breeze
which rustled in at the open windows to
whisper all sorts Of fanciful suggestions
BY coincidence. it happened to be the
birthday OF young Jock Mccall. the son
"f the owner of the plaintiffs twenty
third birthday.
one by one, the applicants passed be-
fore his desk to be perfunctoriIy Ques-
toned as 10 age. experience, references
Then suddenly he glanced up to en-
counter a face which in its wistful deli
'arl. and almost chiIdlke charm of eI-
preston. seemed to him the very counter
Iw.t and embodiment OF the day.
You are looking for work. he asked.
Yet hardly knew his own voice. 1t was
as If he were. sayinC. Il love YOU"
She started little at his question,
showing plainly that she too had been
dream gathering then murmured an ac-
rrt"s. encr.
She Vas absolutely green and without
experience and for unframed labor Of
that sort Mccall usually paid from three
tu i've dollars week. Jock mentally
strained a point as to the factory's neces-
sitins. and assigned her to piece work on
a stitching machine where. if she were
quick and capable. she could earn from
twenty to twenty-fve
Amy Prentice, age twenty" was the
VA she had filled in the applica ton
blank Do" had given her: but his heart
had chrlstened her. "ADril's Lady" be-
fore he ever knew her name.
The entrance of the head Of the con-
erD aroused him from his idle musings.
I"l emlah Mccall was A tall spare man
rs hard and dry and brown as the leather
DO which he dealt.
They talked business for few min
u'cs-r0utine matters-then Jock. en-
bOldennd by the faint dimnution of
austerily in the others manner. ventured
10 broach request which had been in
h.s mind for some time.
Say. father" n" plunged in daringIv,
81 e.. been around the plant here for
tho. years now, ever since came back
FROM, college. You told me YOU wanted
Inc lo l"a1n the business, md I've gone
ahead and tried to do it, I'm not throw
any bouquets at myself. but l do
rnlnN that I've made reasonably good,
and that you'd have more or less Of a
bard TIME getting anyone to fill my
uIa,e."
..WcU".' the old mans tone was abso-
'ur~n without expression.
Jock hcStated. Tell me. first" he
varrrcd with A touch of shrewdnesS
w hat YOU think. Have l. or have 1 not
made good? ?"
" Call was rigidly honest in speech as
Veil a. in action. I've no complaints to
mako OF you" he said dryly.
Then, demanded Jock. why don't
lou pay M salary, as YOU would have
&" with any other man who did the work
fo~ YOU that ] am doing?'
oh. 7 know, he broke out as his
father started TO speak. You will Iel
mr. that YOU give me the privilege Of
-o.n- to the Various stores and charging
ihlnS- np IN Your account, always know
i"- that You will look over the bills
Then. too. if | want five or ten dollars
fo" spending money I can generally get
# by asking YOU and explaining just ex-
a. t- what } am going to do with it,.