Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-03-28

DISCUSSION tndt came UP between them,
he was less tolerant. He was also more
arthritic and more on the edge Of his
nerves.
Look here" he blurted out suddenly
| one day. that old ass Chandler is or
dering me off again. AS IL Is I'm more
off than on these days and the Situa-
ton is getting damned annoying. We've
got to have a general manager here.
In other words" he added hastily as
he saw her flush, we've got to give
real name to the job you're holding.
Oh, I'll stand back Of YOU as long as
I'm able to. but the employees of the
Mackay Publishing Company. includ-
ing John Cary" he underlined signif-
! icantly, have got to learn that your
orders are as good as mine, and they've
got to take them without question. That
husband OF yours has got to take them,
| too"
General manager! 1t was the position
she had been working toward for five
years but had never really hoped to
reach. Now, here it was, dangling before
her, and it might as well have been an
apple in the garden of Eden. But 1t
didn't tempt her-not with John Cary
in the foreground of her life and John
Cary's happiness her first duty. Anne
looked at the Old Man and shook her
head.
He would be the last man to re-
fuse my orders If had the authority
from you TO give them" she said
quietly.
Then why the dick ="
But he'd be utterly wretched," Anne
went on with deep feeling. Il don't
intend that John shall ever be I'M
happy if l can prevent 1t. Well have
to find another general manager"
"A nice suggestion! So that's all this
business means to you" The Old Man
| was furious. you've put in nine years
! here with me. learning every detail OF
shown you every consideration and I've
| given you a lot of rope. Yet when an
emergency comes up you're ready to
| ditch the business rather than hurt
the silly pride of third person"
| The third person happens to be my
husband" Anne reminded him, land
his pride is not silly. It's the natural
to take orders from his wife in big
business with hundreds of associates
looking on. John would do it with de-
cent dignity, but he's got queer little
streak of vanity and Jealousy in him ]
didn't discover till we were married
He'd try his best not to let my new
| position make any difference IN our
home life and our happiness. But IN
! the end it would wreck them both-and
I simply won't let them be wrecked
I'm terribly sorry to disappoint you
but my decision is final"
The Old Man nodded gloomiE.
| How about letting him run his de-
partment HIMSELF" he asked withou:
much hope. mo interference from you
or me or any one else: Is he up to 1t
or would he land us in mess?"
Hes up to it and would do it very
WE'LL" Anne told him, turning the plan
/ over in her mind as she spoke. Hes
been developing very fast, as you your
self admitted again and again. But
look at the position your plan would
put him in! He'd be the only worker
in the place who wouldn't work with
and under the general manager. That
would look nice. wouldn't it?"
/ And would the boys talk!' the Old
Man agreed. well. perhaps I'd better
sell the business and get out. I've
| thought of that several times. It's about
time 1 had some relief from business
worries"
/ Anne smiled. He was like a mis-
chievous small boy determined to give
her jolt.
| you've never really worried over
1 this business she said, land you have
MT given it an anxious thought for five
or six years. You haven't needed to. It's
like splendid ship in heavy sea. It's
plunging ahead through all these world
conditions and making more money for
you every year. You would no more sell
/ it than you would sell your baby son
| if you had one"
so what?' the Old Man asked wear
I lily Where does that get us?"
! II can suggest good general man.
ager," Anne told him. He looked al
her suspiciously. Who is it?" he asked
and added, There's CLINT in your eye
I don't like"
you may not like the suggestion
either, at first" Anne admitted. But
don't go up in the air till you've
! thought it over. I'm suggesting John
Cary for the job"
I'm disappointed in you" The Old
Man spoke heavily. Then, seeing her
flush hotly-he seemed always to be
making his first assistant flush these
| days-he went on hastily.
Il don't say that, mind you, to be-
| little Cary. He has been steadily I'M
proving, as you say, but not enough
He's routine man, born to take or
ders and carry them out faithfully
! What disappoints me is your psychol-
! ogy. Do you understand him SO little
as to imagine he'd take a job as figure
head, and let you do the work?"
! mo. don't. He wouldn't be figure
head and l wouldn't do the work. I'd
stand back of him as his assistant, as
/
us both keeping us in the middle of the
road. John has a fine brain. He would
| realize that he and l could do splendid
| teamwork. AS to his being a routine
man you're wrong for once in your no.
ton that he isn't interested in any de-
| partment of the business but his own
He knows pretty nearly as much
| about the business as a whole as we
do. That isn't because tell him about
it, either. He won't let me. Don't for
get that he's in a position to know eX-
actly what our output is and what it
costs and how much of it comes back
| and what our running expenses are.
He's making our product! He's not a
mixer, but the men like and respect
| him. There would be no criticism OF
his appointment as manager except by
few who want the job themselves and
| aren't up to it. And you can trust
Johns ability and tact to see that he's
no figurehead. Why not try him out for
a year?"
The Old Man studied her thought
fully.
1T will mean a new career for you
he pointed out at last. You'll have to
1oo liz S~Ht oil