's passed between us," he added with a broad smile, "but if you're
willing we'll call it bygones."

"Sure," said Peterson.

"It's fine seasonable weather we're having, and just the thing for you
on the elevator. It's coming right along."

"First-rate."

"It's as interesting a bit of work as I ever saw. I was there the other
day looking at it. And, by the way, I had a long talk with Mr. Bannon.
He's a fine man."

Grady had seated himself on the step below Peterson. Now for the first
time he looked at him.

"He's a good hustler," said Peterson.

"Well, that's what passes for a fine man, these days, though mistakes
are sometimes made that way. But how does it happen that you're not down
there superintending? I hope some carpenter hasn't taken it into his
head to fire the boss."

"I'm not boss there any longer. The office sent Bannon down to take it
over my head."

"You don't tell me that? It's a pity." Grady was shaking his head
solemnly. "It's a pity. The men like you first-rate, Mr. Peterson. I'm
not saying they don't like anybody else, but they like you. But people
in an office a thousand miles away can't know everything, and that's a
fact. And so he laid you off."

"Oh, no, I ain't quite laid off--yet. He's put me in charge of the night
shift."

"So you're working nights, then? It seemed to me you was working fast
enough in the daytime to satisfy anybody. But I suppose some rich man is
in a hurry for it and you must do your best to accommodate him."

"You bet, he's in a hurry for it. He won't listen to reason at all. Says
the bins have got to be chock full of grain before January first, no
matter what happens to us. He don't care how much it costs, either."

"I must be going along," said Grady, getting to his feet. "That man must
be in a hurry. January first! That's quick work, and he don't care how
much it costs him. Oh, these rich devils! They're hustlers, too, Mr.
Peterson. Well, good-night to you."

Peterson saw Bannon twice every day,--for a half hour at night when he
took charge of the job, and for another half hour in the morning when he
relinquished it. That was all except when they chanced to meet during
Bannon's irregular nightly wanderings about the elevator. As the days
had gone by these conversations had been confined more and more rigidly
to necessary business, and though this result was Peterson's own
bringing about, still he charged it up as another of his grievances
against Bannon.