The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-06-07

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
overalls, 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. If he
was at all pleased he did not show 1t.
And this was disappointing, If not to
Mr.. Kingdom, who had taken a 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 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. IF there Is something be-
hind this, ought to know" You might
have supposed that he was complain
ing about plot to keep him forever
working as fireman rather than be-
cause of repeated promotions. 1--WE
heard you employ an efficiency adj
wiser. Well, l want to know on what
the expert bases his conclusions" He
spoke slowly and at times with broken
English, though it would have been
hard to determine the nationality that
his accent indicated. IF you don't
want to tell me, at least you ought to
let me see this expert myself. 1t IL
very important"
"You have seen the expert" Mr..
EMMY. "You see the expert every day
-four times a day and If I am not
much mistaken you usually stop and
chat with the expert for a 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, "and you have
made good. / should never have no.
ticed you even in q dozen years. She
seems to know her men and she IL
learning more every day. She Is be-
coming invaluable. It's a rare gift-a
sort of second sight"
'She might have found out" the
young man who went by the name Of
Norgen said, and then he made clean
breast Of the situation. AS son Of
large factory owner and sure some
time to derive large income through
the operation of his own inherited
plants, he had started out intent on
learning at first hand the point of
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 that
the men who worked for his fathers
plant had no show and were ground
down as mere machines. He even en-
tertained some high-fown idea Of re-
nouncing all claim to the inheritance
If he could justify himself In the be-
TOE hn a
really wished to remain In the King
don factory. He took grim pleasure
in the grimness Of 1t. And then In
spite of himself, and in spite Of his
pretense Of illiteracy. his promotions
had begun. Instead of being able to
go back to his father with an account
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 some
of the most important phases Of the
large plant.
I'm little inclined to be angry
with you," he told the girl who had
been responsible for his promotions.
"Still perhaps you have done me more
good than harm. You have shown me
that have, In spite Of myself, great
taste for the management Of this sort
of plant. 1t has become absorbingly
interesting. couldn't give up the idea
now of taking over my fathers plant
some day-and / had thought Of CIV
ing 1t all up. / have learned to look
at things quite differently now than
would have been possible IL 1 had re-
NAMED in the boiler room as fire.
man."
During the weeks that had passed
when Hester had supposed him to be
only one of the laborers In her ia
theirs plant she had permitted a
friendship to rise between them that
seldom consisted Of more than a stroll
homeward together at night. They
never went more than five blocks to-
gether, as neither wanted the other to