Evening star., 1917-09-16
BY SEWE[LL FORD

dates. That bunch of piece-workeRs
must have thought / was a bear for de-
tails. or else nutty in the head: but
they was too polite to mention IL 30
my buy.
Anyway. L got quite a lot of first
hand evidence as to the kind Of inspect.
in done by the army officer assigned to
this particular plant. l had to smile.
too, when 1 saw Mr.. Marvin TOWN. him
through our shop Saturday forenoon.
Maybe they was three minutes breesin'
through. And / didn't need the extra
smear of smut l put on my face. Mar
vim never glanced my way. This was
the same officer who'd been in on our
dinner party, too.
Yes. l found chattin' with Mike and
his friends a lot more illuminatin' than
listenin to Mr. Marvin. So. when 1
drew down my second pay envelop. 1
told the clerk ! was Quittin'. don't
mind sayin either. that II seemed good
once more and to look sirloin steak
in the face again. A stiff collar did
seem odd though.
Me and Mr.. Ellins had some session.
We went through that red notebook
thorough He was breathin' a bit
on his cigar all the way; but he never
blew fuse until forty-eight hours
later The General Manager OF Won
der Motors, four department heads and
was part Of the audience. They'd been
called on the carpet by wire, and was
grouped around one end of our direc-
tors table At the other end was Old
Hickory. Mr.. Robert. Piddie. and me.
Item by item. Mr. EllinS had sketched
out to the Wonder crowd the bunk
stuff they'd been slippin' over. First
they tried protestin' indignant; then
they made a stab at actin hurt: but
in the end they just looked plain foolish.
eral Manager. "one can not watch every
workman In a plant of that magnitude.
Besides, here he lunches his shoulders.
IF the government is satisfied
Han snorts Old Hickory But II
isn't. For I'm the government In this
instance. I'm standing for Uncle Sam.
That $ what | meant when l took those
ten per cent contracts. I'm too old to
go out and fight his enemies abroad.
but | can stay behind and watch for
yellow-livered buZzards such as you.
Fall that business, do you? FatteninR
your dividends by sending our boys up
against the Prussian guns in junky
motor tanks covered with tin armori
Bah, Your ethics need chloride of lime
on them. And you come here whining
that you cant watch your men, By
the great sizzling sisters, we'll see II
you can't You will put in every miss
ing rivet. replace every fawy plate. and
make every machine perfect, or I'll
smash your little two-by-four concern
so nat the bankruptcy courts won't find
enough to tack a libel notice on. Now
go back and get busy"
They seemed in hurry to start. too.
An hour or so later, when Old Hickory
had stopped Steaming, he passes out a
different set of remarks to me. Oh. the
usual grateful boss stun. Even says
he's going to make the War Depart
ment give me commission, with q
special detail.
Wouldn't that be wonderful says
Wee. clappin her hands. DO you really
think he viii? A lieutenant, perhaps?
That's what he mentioned" says I.
Really" says Wee, maxim a rush
at me.
Wait up" says l. Halt I mean.
Now. as you were, Salute"
Pooh says Wee. continuin' her rush.
But say. she knows how to salute,
all right. Her way would break up an
army. though. All the same, I guess
I've earned it, for by Monday night III
be up in Syracuse shovel works wear
in a one-piece business suit of the
Never-rp brand. and I'll likely have
enough grease on me to lubricate .
switch engine.
IT'S lucky you don't see me. vee"
says /. when I'm out savin' the coun-
try. You'd wonder how you ever come
to do it
Copyright, 1917. by sewell Ford)