careful to avoid errors. I think you will
manage it very nicely if you--ah--have no objection to giving up the
more general work of the office for this. The salary will be
considerably more."

"If you consider that my work will be satisfactory," Miss Weir began.

"I don't think there's any doubt on that score. You have a good record
in the office," he interrupted smilingly, and Hazel observed that he
could be a very agreeable and pleasant-speaking gentleman when he
chose--a manner not altogether in keeping with her former knowledge of
him--and she had been with the firm nearly two years. "Now, let us get
to work and clean up this correspondence."

Thus her new duties began. There was an air of quiet in the private
office, a greater luxury of appointment, which suited Miss Hazel Weir
to a nicety. The work was no more difficult than she had been
accustomed to doing--a trifle less in volume, and more exacting in
attention to detail, and necessarily more confidential, for Mr. Andrew
Bush had his finger-tips on the pulsing heart of a big business.

Hazel met Nelly Morrison the next day while on her way home to lunch.

"Well, how goes the new job?" quoth Miss Morrison.

"All right so far," Hazel smiled. "Mr. Bush said you were going to
Midland."

"Leaving for there in the morning," said Nelly. "I've been wanting to
go for a month, but Mr. Bush objected to breaking in a new girl--until
just the other day. I'm sort of sorry to go, too, and I don't suppose
I'll have nearly so good a place. For one thing, I'll not get so much
salary as I had with Mr. Bush. But mamma's living in Midland, and two
of my brothers work there. I'd much rather live at home than room and
live in a trunk. I can have a better time even on less a week."

"Well, I hope you get along nicely," Hazel proffered.

"Oh, I will. Leave that to me," Miss Morrison laughed. "By the way,
what do you think of Mr. Bush, anyway? But of course you haven't had
much to do with him yet. You'll find him awfully nice and polite, but,
my, he can be cutting when he gets irritated! I've known him to do
some awfully mean things in a business way. I wouldn't want to get him
down on me. I think he'd hold a grudge forever."

They walked together until Hazel turned into the street which led to
her boarding place. Nelly Morrison chattered principally of Mr. Bush.
No matter what subject she opened up, she came back to discussion of
her employer. Hazed gat