the efficiency expert-第7章

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Slowly　he　drew　from　his　pocket　an　envelope　which　had　been　addressed　and　stamped　for　mailing；　and　very　carefully　tore　it　into　small　bits　which　he　dropped　into　the　gutter。　He　could　not　have　told　had　any　one　asked　him　what　prompted　him　to　the　act。　A　girl　had　come　into　his　life　for　an　instant；　and　had　gone　out　again；　doubtless　forever；　and　yet　in　that　instant　Jimmy　Torrance　had　taken　a　new　grasp　upon　his　self…esteem。

It　might　have　been　the　girl；　and　again　it　might　not　have　been。　　He　could　not　tell。　Possibly　it　was　the　simple　little　act　of　refusing　the　tip　she　had　proffered　him。　It　might　have　been　any　one　of　a　dozen　little　different　things；　or　an　accumulation　of　them　all；　that　had　brought　back　a　sudden　flood　of　the　old　self…confidence　and　optimism。

〃To…morrow；〃　said　Jimmy　as　he　climbed　into　his　bed；　〃I　am　going　to　land　a　job。〃

And　he　did。　　In　the　department　store　to　the　general　managership　of　whose　mail…order　department　he　had　aspired　Jimmy　secured　a　position　in　the　hosiery　department　at　ten　dollars　a　week。　The　department　buyer　who　had　interviewed　him　asked　him　what　experience　he　had　had　with　ladies'　hosiery。

〃About　four　or　five　years；〃　replied　Jimmy。

〃For　whom　did　you　work？〃

〃I　was　in　business　for　myself；〃　replied　the　applicant；　〃both　in　the　West　and　in　the　East。　I　got　my　first　experience　in　a　small　town　in　Nebraska；　but　I　carried　on　a　larger　business　in　the　East　later。〃

So　they　gave　Jimmy　a　trial　in　a　new　section　of　the　hosiery　department；　wherein　he　was　the　only　male　clerk。　The　buyer　had　discovered　that　there　was　a　sufficient　proportion　of　male　customers；　many　of　whom　displayed　evident　embarrassment　in　purchasing　hosiery　from　young　ladies；　to　warrant　putting　a　man　clerk　in　one　of　the　sections　for　this　class　of　trade。

The　fact　of　the　matter　was；　however；　that　the　astute　buyer　was　never　able　to　determine　the　wisdom　of　his　plan；　since　Jimmy's　entire　time　was　usually　occupied　in　waiting　upon　impressionable　young　ladies。　However；　inasmuch　as　it　redounded　to　the　profit　of　the　department；　the　buyer　found　no　fault。

Possibly　if　Jimmy　had　been　almost　any　other　type　of　man　from　what　he　was；　his　presence　would　not　have　been　so　flamboyantly　noticeable　in　a　hosiery　department。　His　stature；　his　features；　and　his　bronzed　skin；　that　had　lost　nothing　of　its　bronze　in　his　month's　search　for　work　through　the　hot　summer　streets　of　a　big　city；　were　as　utterly　out　of　place　as　would　have　been　the　salient　characteristics　of　a　chorus…girl　in　a　blacksmith…shop。

For　the　first　week　Jimmy　was　frightfully　embarrassed；　and　to　his　natural　bronze　was　added　an　almost　continuous　flush　of　mortification　from　the　moment　that　he　entered　the　department　in　the　morning　until　he　left　it　at　night。

〃It　is　a　job；　however；〃　he　thought；　〃and　ten　dollars　is　better　than　nothing。　I　can　hang　onto　it　until　something　better　turns　up。〃

With　his　income　now　temporarily　fixed　at　the　amount　of　his　wages；　he　was　forced　to　find　a　less　expensive　boarding…place；　although　at　the　time　he　had　rented　his　room　he　had　been　quite　positive　that　there　could　not　be　a　cheaper　or　more　undesirable　habitat　for　man。　Transportation　and　other　considerations　took　him　to　a　place　on　Indiana　Avenue　near　Eighteenth　Street；　from　whence　he　found　he　could　walk　to　and　from　work；　thereby　saving　ten　cents　a　day。　〃And　believe　me；〃　he　cogitated；　〃I　need　the　ten。〃

Jimmy　saw　little　of　his　fellow　roomers。　　A　strange；　drab　lot　he　thought　them　from　the　occasional　glimpses　he　had　had　in　passings　upon　the　dark　stairway　and　in　the　gloomy　halls。　They　appeared　to　be　quiet；　inoffensive　sort　of　folk；　occupied　entirely　with　their　own　affairs。　He　had　made　no　friends　in　the　place；　not　even　an　acquaintance；　nor　did　he　care　to。　What　leisure　time　he　had　he　devoted　to　what　he　now　had　come　to　consider　as　his　life　workthe　answering　of　blind　ads　in　the　Help　Wanted　columns　of　one　morning　and　one　evening　paperthe　two　mediums　which　seemed　to　carry　the　bulk　of　such　advertising。

For　a　while　he　had　sought　a　better　position　by　applying　during　the　noon　hour　to　such　places　as　gave　an　address　close　enough　to　the　department　store　in　which　he　worked　to　permit　him　to　make　the　attempt　during　the　forty…five…minute　period　be　was　allowed　for　his　lunch。

But　he　soon　discovered　that　nine…tenths　of　the　positions　were　filled　before　he　arrived；　and　that　in　the　few　cases　where　they　were　not　he　not　only　failed　of　employment；　but　was　usually　so　delayed　that　he　was　late　in　returning　to　work　after　noon。

By　replying　to　blind　ads　evenings　he　could　take　his　replies　to　the　two　newspaper　offices　during　his　lunch　hour；　thereby　losing　no　great　amount　of　time。　Although　he　never　received　a　reply；　he　still　persisted　as　be　found　the　attempt　held　something　of　a　fascination　for　him；　similar　probably　to　that　which　holds　the　lottery　devotee　or　the　searcher　after　buried　treasurethere　was　always　the　chance　that　he　would　turn　up　something　big。

And　so　another　month　dragged　by　slowly。　　His　work　in　the　department　store　disgusted　him。　It　seemed　such　a　silly；　futile　occupation　for　a　full…grown　man；　and　he　was　always　fearful　that　the　sister　or　sweetheart　or　mother　of　some　of　his　Chicago　friends　would　find　him　there　behind　the　counter　in　the　hosiery　section。

The　store　was　a　large　one；　including　many　departments；　and　Jimmy　tried　to　persuade　the　hosiery　buyer　to　arrange　for　his　transfer　to　another　department　where　his　work　would　be　more　in　keeping　with　his　sex　and　appearance。

He　rather　fancied　the　automobile　accessories　line；　but　the　buyer　was　perfectly　satisfied　with　Jimmy's　sales　record；　and　would　do　nothing　to　assist　in　the　change。　The　university　heavyweight　champion　had　reached　a　point　where　he　loathed　but　one　thing　more　than　he　did　silk　hosiery；　and　that　one　thing　was　himself。




CHAPTER　VI。

HAROLD　PLAYS　THE　RAVEN。

Mason　Compton；　president　and　general　manager；　sat　in　his　private　office　in　the　works　of　the　International　Machine　Company；　chewing　upon　an　unlighted　cigar　and　occasionally　running　his　fingers　through　his　iron…gray　hair　as　he　compared　and　recompared　two　statements　which　lay　upon　the　desk　before　him。

〃Damn　strange；〃　he　muttered　as　he　touched　a　button　beneath　the　edge　of　his　desk。　A　boy　entered　the　room。　〃Ask　Mr。　Bince　if　he　will　be　good　enough　to　step　in　here　a　moment；　please；〃　said　Compton；　and　a　moment　later；　when　Harold　Bince　entered；　the　older　man　leaned　back　in　his　chair　and　motioned　the　other　to　be　seated。

〃I　can't　understand　these　statements；　Harold；〃　said　Compton。　　〃Here　is　one　for　August　of　last　year　and　this　is　this　August's　statement　of　costs。　We　never　had　a　better　month　in　the　history　of　this　organization　than　last　month；　and　yet　our　profits　are　not　commensurate　with　the　volume　of　business　that　we　did。　That's　the　reason　I　sent　for　these　cost　statements　and　have　compared　them；　and　I　find　that　our　costs　have　increased　out　of　all　proportions　to　what　is　warranted。　How　do　you　account　for　it？〃

〃Principally　the　increased　cost　of　labor；〃　replied　Bince。　　〃The　same　holds　true　of　everybody　else。　Every　manufacturer　in　the　country　is　in　the　same　plight　we　are。〃

〃I　know；〃　agreed　Compton；　〃that　that　is　true　to　some　measure。　　Both　labor　and　raw　materials　have　advanced；　but　we　have　advanced　our　prices　correspondingly。　In　some　instances　it　seems　to　me　that　our　advance　in　prices；　particularly　on　our　specialties；　should　have　given　us　even　a　handsomer　profit　over　the　increased　cost　of　production　than　we　formerly　received。

〃In　the　last　six　months　since　I　appointed　you　assistant　manager　I　am　afraid　that　I　have　sort　of　let　things　get　out　of　my　grasp。　I　have　a　lot　of　confidence　in　you；　Harold；　and　now　that　you　and　Elizabeth　are　engaged　I　feel　even　more　inclined　to　let　you　shoulder　the　responsibilities　that　I　have　carried　alone　from　the　inception　of　this　organization。　But　I've　got　to　be　mighty　sure　that　you　are　going　to　do　at　least　as　well　as　I　did。　You　have　shown　a　great　deal　of　ability；　but　you　are　young　and　haven't　had　the　advantage　of　the　years　of　experience　that　made　it　possible　for　me　to　finally　develop　a　business　second　to　none　in　this　line　in　the　West。

〃I　never　had　a　son；　and　after　Elizabeth's　mother　died　I　have　lived　in　the　hope　somehow　that　she　would　marry　the　sort　of　chap　who　would　really　take　the　place　of