Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-06-04
CHAPTER v
The specialist.


q field ONCE for the chief.
Williams looked the cost-cutter over
as he stood In the doorway. Smith was
thriving and expanding handsomely in
the new environment. He had let his
beard grow and 1t was now long enough
to be trimmed to a point. The travel
broken clothes had been exchanged for
working khaki, with lace-boots and leg
gings, and the campaign hat of the en-
gineers. Though he had been less than
Z month on the job, he was already be
ginning to tan and tougher under the
healthy outdoor work-to roughen, as
well, his late fellow members Of the
Lawrencaville Cotillon club might have
said, since he had fought three pitched
battles with as many Of the camp bull
lies. and had In each Of them proved
himself man Of his hands who could
not only take punishment, but could
hammer an opponent swiftly and neat
~ into any desired state Of subsection.
.4Come in here and sit down; want
to talk to you" was the way Williams
began It; and after Smith had found
q chair the chief went on: "Say, Smith,
you're too good q man for anything I've
got for you here. Haven't you realized
that7'
Smith pulled q memorandum book
from his hip pocket and ran his eye
over the private record he had been
keeping.
Eve shown you how to effect few
little savings which total up something
IKE is per cent Of your cost Of produc-
tton and operation" he said. Don't
you think I'm sarning my wages7"
] 'Ihat.s, an rieht rye been keeping
tab, too, and / know what you're do
ing. But gov, are not beginning to earn
what you ought to. either for yourself
or the company" put in, the chief
shrswdly. And then: Loosen up,
Smith, and tell me something about
yourself. Who are You, and where do
you come from, and what sort Of a Job
have you been holding DOWN.
Smiths reply was as surprising as it
vas seemingly irrelevant.
III you're not too busy, Mr.. Williams,
I guess you'd better make out my time
check" he said quietly.
Williams took q reflective half-min-
ute for consideration, turning the sud
den request over deliberately in his
mind, - HIS habit was.
II suppose BY that you mean that
youn quit before you will consent to
open up on your recordf' he assumed.
You've guessed r." said tho. man
Who had sealed the book Of his past.
Again Williams took little time Il
WAS diseeg1sing to have his owl, and
the eoloner lge o1riass as to Smiths;
probable state and standing 70 prompts
y verified.
II suppose you-k know the plain infer
ence you're leaving. when you say q
thing Ike thatT'
Smith made the sisn Of assent. 1T
leaves you entirely at liberty to finish
but the story to suit yourself" he ad-
mitted. adding: *The back numbers
my back numbers are my own, Mr..
williams. I've kept Q file Of them, as
everybody does, but I don't have to
produce It on request"
.Of course, there's nothing compul-
cory about your producing 1t. But un-
less you are what they call in this
country crooked crook, you are
standing in your own light. You have
such . staying good head for figures
and finances that Il seems q pity for
you to be wasting It here on an UNDER
graduate's JOB IN cost-cutting. Any
young fellow just out Of . technical
school could do what you're doing In
the way Of pairing down expenses.
The cost-cuttsr's smile was mildly
tneredulous.
sNobody seemed to Be doing It be-
eors.I came" No offered.
'sNo.r Williams SLOWED. that's the
TACT. 10 til The plain truth, we've had
bigger things % Wfsetle with and we
have them vt, for. that matter-enough
Of them to 80 III around the Job twice
and tie In q bowlEnot. "
"Finances?' q1eried Smith, feeling
some Of the baek-number instincts stir
ring within him. e I55F5
The chief engineer nodded; then he
looked up with q twinkle In his closely
set gray eyes. ssIf you'll tell me why
you tried to XIII Burdell the other day.
maybe m open up the record our
record--f0r .you. - 3; 8 n