the presence of the chief in the inner office. He
might as effectively have striven to stay the East wind at that time
sweeping up the valley.

"Are you ready, my dear?" said Tony, smiling pleasantly at the girl.
"All right, proceed. 'Dear Mr. Maitland:' Got that? 'Conscious of my
unfitness for the position of foreman in--'"

"Hush, hush, Tony," implored Mr. Wickes.

Tony waved him aside.

"What have you got, eh?"

At that point the door opened and Grant Maitland stepped into the
office. Tony rose to his feet and, bowing with elaborate grace and
dignity, he addressed his chief.

"Good morning, sir. I am glad to see you, in fact, I wanted to see
you but wishing to save your time I was in the very act of dictating a
communication to you."

"Indeed, Tony?" said Mr. Maitland gravely.

"Yes, sir, I was on the point of dictating my resignation of my position
of foreman."

"Step in to the office, Tony," said Mr. Maitland kindly and sadly.

"I don't wish to take your time, sir," said Tony, sobered and quieted by
Mr. Maitland's manner, "but my mind is quite made up. I--"

"Come in," said Mr. Maitland, in a voice of quiet command, throwing open
his office door. "I wish to speak to you."

"Oh, certainly, sir," answered Tony, pulling himself together with an
all too obvious effort.

In half an hour Tony came forth, a sober and subdued man.

"Good-bye, Wickes," he said, "I'm off."

"Where are you going, Tony?" enquired Wickes, startled at the look on
Tony's face.

"To hell," he snapped, "where such fools as me belong," and, jamming his
hat hard down on his head, he went forth.

In another minute Mr. Maitland appeared at the office door.

"Wickes," he said sharply, "put on your hat and get Jack for me. Bring
him, no matter what he's at. That young fool who has just gone out must
be looked after. The boot-leggers have been taking him in tow. If I had
only known sooner. Did you know, Wickes, how he has been going on? Why
didn't you report to me?"

"I hesitated to do that, sir," putting his desk in order. "I always
expected as how he would pull up. It's his company, sir. He is not so
much to blame."

"Well, he would not take anything I had to offer. He is wild to get
away. And unfortunately he has some money with him, too. But get Jack
for me. He can handle him if anybody can."

Sorely perplexed Mr. Maitland returned to his office. His business sense
pointed the line of action with sunlight clearness. His se