The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-01-30
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 GALE HENDERSON. nreffy.
 -, works fin Q silk mill. She and
 her brother, PHIL, 10, support
 their invalid father.
 blHvE MEYERS who also
 works tn the mill asks Gale to
 many him. She promises to give
 nim nn angwer in . few days.
 That night Gale goes skating
 on the river. The ice breaks and
 2 rescued by BRIAN WEST.
 MVHE; whose father, now dead,
 Duilt the mill. Brian asks Gale 10
 wait while he gets his car but
 when he returns she is zone.
 VlCkY THATCHER. daughter
 of ROBERT THATCHER, gen.
 eEai manager of the mill, makes
 plans to captivate Brian.
 RUBY GRIFFITH breaks 0
 date with Phil Henderson to
 keep one with ED VOGEL, and
 Phil and Ed Quarrel. Later Phil
 goes to Q mysterious meeting
 with other mill workers.
 at CHAPTER Tx
 The morning sunlight slanted through the tall, wide windows and fell in bright path across the carpeted floor. It fell on the heavy, ENeAA1SAC4 4COhf LuG 6lIVeE paper weight shaped like a sea gull the leather calendar pad and the stack of opened letters addressed to Mr Robert Thatcher, general man. ager of the mill.
 Thatcher sat at the desk, very straight, the palms of his hands pressed together. When he spoke the words came crisply.
 My dear Brian," he was saying, you know we're all glad to see you back. It's fine thing-a son stepping into his fathers shoes"
 Brian Westmore said quickly, I'm afraid it will be a long time before can do that-if 1 ever can. Of course the whole thing is new to me; I've got so much to learn. But I'm anxious to get started-l more anxious than I've ever been about anything before.'
 Thatcher nodded. That's the spirit" he approved. "If more young men felt that way, If they would take an interest in business instead of frittering their time away on silly sports and such non- sense, this country would be a | great deal better off. Yes, indeed! A great deal better off,"
 Brian leaned forward. My mother told me-" he said, "how wonderfully you've managed every employees on and | paying them the same wages in spite of the fact that times are so | did it." '
 The older man raised hand | deprecatingly. Just keeping my hand on the rudder, Brian. These last eight months have been trying ones. In the industry at large, I | mean. Here in our mill we've had our little fiurries, but nothing more than that. Nothing to be alarmed 
 'Tn Paris" Brian said, 'I read a lot about the new experiments they're trying out in this country. About the way they're tackling things at Washington, trying to organize the country on a new eco homie basis, giving the workers chance to stand on their own feet. ]. want to know how it's being done"
 Thatcher's lips frightened. His voice neither rose nor lowered, but 1t took in hardness as he inter- rupted:
 eS, Ol course. It all very 1n- | teresting. Extremely so. I SUD- pose I'm a conservative man, Brian | At least some people would call me | so. But I've been trained in hard | school. Some of these new ven- tures-well, frankly I must confess I'm skeptical about them. Not op- posed, you understand, but skepti- cal! Until someone can show me 3 better way prefer to go along as we have been here, meeting problems as they come along, worK ing them out. think" with a sigh | of pride, that results under my management have been fairly sat- 
 "Oh, yes, MT Thatcher. That's what I've been telling you. Mother says you've done wonderfully"
 "Ah" Thatcher smiled ./"Prof- lts." he went on in the clear, hard tone, have been gratifying. And | we have no labor troubles. Our are like a peaceful, con- tented family. The spirit of the ex- ecutives and the spirit of the men and women in the mill is one of friendly cooperation. You've seen the mill village, Brian?"
 "Yes-that is, I've driven through | it."
 "Then you know how comfort ably our workers live there. Tn model homes, equipped with every They have the very |