ause I'll work with
you to make it succeed. I believe in the old man, and in what he makes,
and defy anyone to turn out a better car than we can."

He thumped his fist on the arm of his chair as if challenging Jimmy or
the world at large, and Jimmy was highly encouraged. There was but one
great fear in his mind.

"Do you think--do you think--that Granger affair is likely to prejudice
me in Mr. Sayers' estimation?" he asked, almost appealingly.

The superintendent frowned thoughtfully for a moment and then said, "I
don't know. Honestly I don't! Mr. Sayers is a peculiar man. Nobody ever
quite knows what he thinks until he opens his mouth, and then it comes
out straight and plain. No frills. No evasions. If he likes a man, he
likes him. If he doesn't like him--that ends it. I don't have any idea
what he really thinks of Granger. The Judge visits the old man's house
when Mrs. Sayers and the daughter are there, but Mrs. Sayers is not the
old man--by a long shot! She's a social climber. The old man doesn't
give a hang about society, or pink teas. He makes automobiles and
believes in efficiency. Granger's not the old man's sort at all. Too
stuck up. If I were you, I'd wait until the old man finds out that
you're the man who played the joke, and when he asks you about the
inside of it, tell him the truth just the same as you did me. If you can
show him, before then, that you are the man to market the Sayers car,
it's my opinion that the Judge, and his likes, or dislikes, will amount
to about as much as a tallow candle at an arc-light party. Anyhow, I
wish you luck, and I'll boost for you because I think you deserve it!"

Holmes studied for a moment and said, "By the way, if you could dictate
your plan for the new sales organization, I could lend you a bright
stenographer who is chain lightning at--well, what is it?"

He stopped and swung around in his swivel chair as a girl from the outer
office entered with a card which she handed him.

"That's the name he gave, sir. He said he must see you at once, because
he's the deputy sheriff."

Jimmy's heart lost a beat. The superintendent grinned, pursed his lips
as if to whistle, and then he said, "Tell him I'm busy but will be at
leisure in less than five minutes. Tell him to wait outside. Five
minutes, remember!"

The girl went out and the door had barely closed behind her when Holmes
muttered to Jimmy, "Here! Come here, quickly. Into this wash room with
you, and lock the do