Evening star., 1923-06-03


Very good-very good indeed" he
said. ST looked into the matter
thoroughly last year. What is your
price per hundred square feet, laid
in placer"
John gave the figures. his heart
leaping with joy. Something in Mr..
Austens manner told him that he was
about to secure an order. Briefly,
succinctly he made his points, Mr..
Austen nodding affirmatively as each
one went home.
I'VE are about to enlarge our plant
by erecting three new buildings" he
said. when John had finished. "I
estimate the roof area at approx
imately a million square feet. l am
convinced that your roofing is what
we want, and / am prepared to give
you the order"
x< X
John HULL swallowed hard. His
- throat seemed suddenly parched.
| Nothing like this had ever happened
to him before. although he had fire.
quently dreamed of such a scene
during long, dusty hours on railroad
| trains. A million square feet! One
of the largest single orders the
Standard had ever booked! He drew
from his pocket a duplicate contract
form and with trembling fingers
filled in the blanks with his fountain
pen. zone million square feet. more
or less-laid in place-work to begin
to be completed-contract price"
Hastily finishing his task he handed
the agreement to Mr.. Austen. 1t
all seemed too good to be true
He wondered if some unforeseen
of fire. would yet snatch the coveted
order from his grasp.
Mr.. Austen read the contract
through carefully and signed it.
"I will leave the copy as a memo
randum," John said. placing the
signed document in his pocket. Our
home office will confirm the order at
once" He rose. eager to get away.
'I thank you with all my heart. Mr..
Austen" he exclaimed. extending his
hand This order means a great
deal to me. And I may say that 1
shall personally supervise the work
and see that it is carried out to your
entire satisfaction. Good day"
Good day" Mr.. Austen rose offering
a cigar. "It has been a pleasure. Mr..
Hull, to do business with you. Look
in whenever you are in the neighpor-
hood. l shall always be glad to see
you"
John took the cigar and fed. On
the stairs he passed the girl in the
| cly VI hut
noticed her, so eager was he to get
back to the hotel to wire Mr.. Nc
Intyre The night letter he dispatched
held a note of triumph. Have Sc
cured contract for roofing three new
buildings. Austen-Thatcher Company
approximately one million square
feet at standard prices. work to be-
gin July, see letter enclosing signed
order which please confirm imme-
diately Mr.. James Austen, address
Austen Building Millersburg."
This pleasant duty fulfilled, John
lit Mr.. Austens excellent cigar and
penned a short, precise and very dig
nified letter to Mr.. Mcintyre. inclos-
ing the precious document signed by
Mr. Austen and giving few addi-
tional details. Then he proceeded to
| dress.
He had just splashed through a
cold bath and replaced his dusty
business suit with one of gray fian-
mel when the telephone bell rang. A
young lady wished to see him. the
clerk at the desk said. She was
waiting in the ladies' parlor. Would
he be down soon?
Mystifed, John replied that he
would. Who could be calling on him.
he wondered? He knew no young
lladies-at least-at least not In
Millersburg Was this his lucky day?
| Was adventure knocking at his door?
There had been a charming bright
eyed young person at the of1ces OF
the Routson Chemical Company who
had smiled enticingly at him, even
while informing him that Mr.. Rout-
son was too busy to be seen. Well
the night was a festive one. His sue
cess deserved some sort of celebra-
ton. He felt like telling some one
about 1.-THE hotel clerk. If no one
else proved available. 1t would be
lintolerable to dine alone on this
night of nights, to spend the evening
hotel lobby. He descended to the
ladies' parlor, filled with pleasurable
anticipations.
X X y X
-HE room contained but a single
i person, a girl, who came toward
him with an air of hesitation. She wore
q. white linen suit. What could Mr.
Austen's secretary want with him
A faint, premonitory chill ran down
his back.
"Mr. Hull?" the girl inquired, a
worried look in her eyes.
..eYes. 1 am Mr.. Hull. What can
IL do for you?" His manner was en-
couraging, in spite of his fears.
ST am Helen Burnett, from Mr.
Austen's office. He-I-there is some
thing 1. must tell you" Her emhar-
rassment increased.
/ Suppose we sit down." John waved
toward a sofa, his knees trembling
Was anything wrong?
"You-you accepted an order from
Mr.. Austen this afternoon" she went
on, drawing a folded document from
her handbag, "for a million square
feet of roofing"
81 did. Wired 1t in to our home
: office over an hour ago. whye"
Miss Burnett gazed at him with 6
troubled frown.
I'm so sorry" she whispered. 'Tt
1 could only have reached you be
= fore"
But" John gasped, puzzled, 'ii
there are any changes Mr.. Auster
mould like to have made in the con.