n when Peterson fell into criticism of the way the
work was going, he was influenced by it.

During the few days after the accident Hilda was so deeply distressed
about the injured man that Max finally went to see him.

"He's pretty well taken care of," he said when he returned. "There's
some ribs broken, he says, and a little fever, but it ain't serious.
He's got a couple of sneaking little lawyers around trying to get him to
sue for damages, but I don't think he'll do it. The Company's giving him
full pay and all his doctor's bills."

Nearly every evening after that Max took him some little delicacy. Hilda
made him promise that he would not tell who sent them.

Bannon had quickly caught the changed attitude toward him, and for
several days kept his own counsel. But one morning, after dictating some
letters to Hilda, he lingered.

"How's our fund getting on?" he said, smiling. "Have you looked lately?"

"No," she said, "I haven't."

He leaned over the railing and opened the box.

"It's coming slow," he said, shaking his head. "Are you sure nobody's
been getting away from us?"

Hilda was seated before the typewriter. She turned partly around,
without taking her fingers from the keys.

"I don't know," she said quietly. "I haven't been watching it."

"We'll have to be stricter about it," said Bannon. "These fellows have
got to understand that rules are rules."

He spoke with a little laugh, but the remark was unfortunate. The only
men who came within the railing were Max and Peterson.

"I may have forgotten it, myself," she said.

"That won't do, you know. I don't know but what I can let you off this
time--I'll tell you what I'll do, Miss Vogel: I'll make a new rule that
you can come in without wiping your feet if you'll hand in a written
excuse. That's the way they did things when I went to school." He turned
to go, then hesitated again. "You haven't been out on the job yet, have
you?"

"No, I haven't."

"I rather think you'd like it. It's pretty work, now that we're framing
the cupola. If you say so, I'll fix it for you to go up to the
distributing floor this afternoon."

She looked back at the machine.

"The view ain't bad," he went on, "when you get up there. You can see
down into Indiana, and all around. You could see all Chicago, too, if it
wasn't for the smoke."

There was a moment's silence.

"Why, yes, Mr. Bannon," she said; "I'd like to go very much."

"All right," he replied, his smil