Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-10-04
TOO MUCH
EFFICIENCY
A CLEVER SERIAL STORY.
By e. J. RATH.
Author Of when the Devil Was
Sick" One Cylinder Sam" etc.
CLEVER SERIAL ste
CHAPTER v.
A Defeat or Two.

iiaii peiore any MEMBER OF the family
appeared. He was busy examining.
asserting, and piling an array Of
books and documents. Seven o'clock
had found him there, when daylight
was still SO wan and feeble that he
needed the assistance of an electric
bulb. He was beginning to get hun
CRY.
Alice was the first to observe him.
She walked briskly into the room
humming. stopped short and saw the
efficiency man. 1t was such an ag-
excessively cheerful morning, with sun
light now streaming through the broad
windows. that Alice, in buovant re-
Spouse to the mood of the day. had
utterly forgotten the presence of this
creature under the Brooke rooftree.
The tune died in a dismal wall. She
wheeled sharply and disappeared into
the hall. 1t would have been unite
proper if great cloud had covered
the face of the sun at the same in
slant; although as it CHANGED, none did.
Constance appeared five minutes
later, but with no evidence Of the sur
prise displayed by her sister.
GOOD morning" said Hedge. rising.
lie nodded and smiled in perfect friend
liness. There was not the least sugges
tion in his manner or voice that be-
trayed memory of having been de-
scribed as a boor
Good morning" replied Constance.
She hesitated for an instant, then D..
preached the desk and stood facing
him, across the broad mahogany ex-
panse.
Breakfast Is ready now" she said.
Very good. We will 20 in"
Before we do, l wish to say one
thing, Mr. Hedge" She spoke with
composure.
He nodded
There is one fixed rule In orr
house which ! must ask you to oh
serve. No matter what has happeped
the evening before, or the day before
or even a minute before, nobody Is
permitted to de disagreeable at break
fast My father has always insisted
on this and 1t has become our cus
tom. This, so far as possible, is APP
pied to all meals; in the case of
breakfast invariably. May | ask you
not Toto"
Not to break it, he supplied with
smile. Certainly. I'll observe the
uiS' II IL BOOu one.
Thank you" said Constance gravely.
"Of course, after breakfast"
She ended the sentence with a shrug
that was non committal
oh, of course" he responded non
chalantly.
Constance led the way into the din
ingroom. Billy and Alice were at the
table, the latter half choked with
laughter over something her brother
had said
Good morning" nodded Billy cheer
fully, glancing up.
Good morning." said Alice, as
though she were beholding the eff
cheney man for the first time that day.
She was still laughing.
Good morning" said Hedge cordial
ly, and he sat down.
Constance breathed a faint sigh of
relief One tradition of the Brooke
family thus far remained unshattered.
We'll, Connie, have you treated him
as you would father?" demanded her
brother with grin.
The magic influence of the break
fast hour still resisted shock. Con-
stance neither blnshed nor frowned.
she laughed heartily. H. Hedge did
likewise. but with a little wrinkle of
perplexity between his eyes.
- 70 any 'ilhs l am missing,
- Neo. ieaVe II 10 your sense
or fair play to see that | get it,"
Alice whooped. Billy, with an air of
e."Ne INJURY $1,000 UP ana gazed fix
at Tue eop Oh the efficiency mans
mead Inc heaVy thatch of dark hair
caused him to groan reRretfully
NO you can get i-not the way
'"a ..,r,, ooes ne saiu saoly
ihdt 100 pad II theres anything
."ii 10
@iiee "hoopea again
you hiieht I'VE TO De nfty or
e,N's OF seventy OF eignty years old,
sue Saiu; ana men maybe you'd be
Alice' Far play, now, cautioned
constance.
~, on. wen, II ne DOESN'T want to wait
llldi long, ne could