The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-06-28

.
- utter lack Of schooling. He had
even proved his inability to write hg'
ures and for this reason had a special
stenographer to take all his dictation
for him. Moreover. he doggedly re
fused to dress as a man In Mr.. King
don's private Office should dress and
came and went In flannel shirt and
overaIls, and insisted on eating lunch
with the other men In the courtyard at
noon and consorting with them at
closing time rather than with the men
In the Office departments.
No one was more puzzled than Nor
gen himself at his rapid rise. II he
was at all pleased he did not show it,
And this was disappointing, II not to
Mr.. Kingdom, who had taken fancy
to the young man, then at least to the
daughter on whose persistent advice
Norgen had received his repeated pro
motions. Already In his logged, al
most surly way, he had relieved King
don of a great deal OF worry. In spite
of himself he was proving the right
ness Of the advice of the efficiency ad-
wiser.
One day Norgen came abruptly to
Mr.. Kingdom with his question: "Who
is responsible for my promotion?" he
demanded. III there Is something be-
hind this, ought to know" You might
have supposed that he was complain
ing about a plot to keep him forever
working as fireman rather than be-
cause of repeated promotions. I've
heard you employ an efficiency ad-
wiser. Well. want to know on what
the expert bases his conclusions" He
spoke slowly and at times with broken
English. though II would have been
hard to determine the nationality that
his accent indicated. III you don't
want to tell me. at least you ought to
let me see this expert myself. 1t Is
very important"
"You have seen the expert" Mr..
Kingdom said slowly and almost SOL
EMMY. "You see the expert every day
-four times q day and If l am not
much mistaken you usually stop and
chat with the expert for few min
utes when you come in at noon. in
fact" Mr.. Kingdom was looking
straight into the young mans face,
II have reason to'believe that the ex-
pert occasionally meets you after
hours and allows you to escort her
part way home"
Norgen's face showed first annoy
ance and then something akin to
amusement. "A curious choice for an
efficiency adviser-what does she know
of mems abilities?" he asked.
'She picked you from the rest" was
Mr.. Kingdoms answer, land you have
made good. l should never have no
ticed you even in dozen years. She
seems to know her men and she Is
learning more every day. She is be-
coming invaluable. It's rare gifts
sort of second sight"
"She might have found out" the
young man who went by the name OF
Norgen said. and then he made a clear
breast of the situation. AS son Of Q
large factory owner and sure some
time to derive large income through
the operation Of his own inherited
plants, he had started out intent or
view of the men whose labor made
possible the running of such fac
tories. The theory that he especially
wanted to prove to himself was thai
the men who worked for his fathers
plant had no show and were grounC
down as mere machines. He even en-
tertained some high-down idea Of re-
nouncing all claim to the inheritance
II he could justify himself in the be
lief that such was the case. He hat
really wished to remain in the King
don factory. He took grim pleasure
in the grimness of 1t. And then II
spite of himself, and in spite of hi:
pretense of illiteracy his promotions
had begun. Instead of being able t.
90 back to his father with an accoun
of the oppression of labor he would
show him the rare proof of his abili
ties. For he was now holding down
very important position for Mr.. King
don and had thoroughly mastered som
of the most important phases of tn
large plant.
I'm a little inclined to be angr
with YOU" he told the girl who hat
been responsible for his promotions
"Still perhaps you have done me NOR
good than harm. You have shown m
that | have, in spite of myself, grea
taste for the management of this sor
of plant. Ii has become absorbingl
interesting | couldn't give up the ide
now of taking over my fathers plan
some day-and l had thought OF giy
ing it all up. l have learned to loo
at things quite differently now tina
would have been possible If ! had RI
manned in the boiler room as a fir'
man."
During the weeks that had passe
when Hester had supposed him to b
: only one of the laborers in her f,
theirs plant she had permitted
friendship to rise between them this
/ seldom consisted of more than a stro
homeward together at night. The
never went more than five blocks t
: gether. as neither wanted the other