Evening star., 1939-09-03


o. 0. had a way - rather brutally
frank - of expecting his people to act
as he would act in any sort of crisis,
even a minor one. And he did have
loyal, sentimental streak that -
But the visitor was speaking again,
in louder, firmer tone. Don't make
no mistake, young man. didn't come
all the way from Cedar Hill to beg
favor for myself. don't need any
thing from anybody, thank the Lord!
And l know how Oily must be pestered
by a lot of good-for-nothings. But
when my nephew, Stan Macmillan,
wrote to me and told me all about
the wonderful DIESEL motor that he
had perfected for automobiles, and
how he didn't know how to 60 about
getting the automobile people inter-
ested in it, why Il just naturally
thought of Oily"
Il see.' MIR. Barbour said with a
shade less warmth.
The lady promptly sensed the drop
in sympathetic interest. You don't
see," she countered. you think I'm
an interfering old woman trying to
presume on past friendships to palm
off some worthless invention -"
Mot at ALL" the secretary protested
hurriedly. 1t was just what he had
been thinking.
You don't have to be diplomatic
with me, young man. You don't
know me the way Oily does, that's all.
He knows my pride wouldn't permit
me to cadge on his generosity. didn't
even think about making this trip
until had MIR. Fothergill, over at the
Cedar Hill National Bank. look into
the entire matter for me. The - what
do you call them? - engineering
reports? Exactly. And the reports of
the tests" Her eyes reflected chill.
MIR. Barbour twisted uneasily. Il
didn't mean to insinuate ~
I'm sorry l got bit heated up,
young man." MIR. Croy would have
pointed out, acidly, that the conver-
sation was skillfully calculated to give
the secretary pause, while reminding
him again that his visitor was kindly
woman at heart - the old slicker!
But l did so want to keep this
thing where it belongs - on business
basis, with no favors asked. As a
matter of fact" - Mrs. Tupper leaned
forward and her voice dropped to
solemn whisper-"I would really have
preferred not to have Oily know about
the engine until his own experts had
tested it out. Then. if it turned out
poorly, l would never have bothered
Oily with it. Simply forgotten the
whole matter. That would have been
the ideal way of course. But after all
| am only an old woman from the
country" She gave the secretary a
helpless smile that would have left
her young son Bill in stitches. "A big
business man like yourself would have
known how to do it.
Her naive faith in his ability to cope
with big problems made MIR. Barbour
think of his own mother. From the
thought sprang bright idea. 1t was
scintillating bit of skull effort of which
the secretary was instantly proud.
The old lady was undoubtedly sincere
in her desire to have her nephew's
development stand on its own merits.
Why not aid her in that direction?
What we're the advantages of such
step? Firstly, Mrs. Tupper would be
pleased and secretary loses nothing
by having old friends of his senti-
mental employer find him useful and
alert. Secondly, if the invention was
- as likely - washout, then o. O.
would be spared the necessity of giving
pain to his old school teacher. Thirdly,
if the DIESEL really amounted to some
thing, there would be certain
amount of credit accruing to him.
What were the disadvantages of
tho idea7 None He acted DrOmDtly