“Youwouldgoout，eh？Ibelieveonmysoulyouwould。You——you——
oldfool。But，“saidMaitland，reachinghishandacrossthedesk，“Idon’tgobackonoldfriendsthatway。“
Thetwomenstoodfacingeachotherforafewminutes，withhandsclasped，Maitland’sfacesternandset，Wickes’workinginapitifulefforttostaythetearsthatrandownhischeeks，tochokebackthesobsthatshookhisoldbodyasifinthegripofsomeunseenpowerfulhand。
“Wemustfindaway，“saidMaitland，whenhefeltsureofhisvoice。“Someway，butnotthatway。Sitdown。Wemustgothroughthistogether。“
GrantMaitland抯businessinstinctsandtrainingweresuchastoforbidanytriflingwithloosemanagementinanydepartmentofhisplant。Hewas，moreover，toojustamantoallowanyofhisworkmentosufferforfailuresnottheirown。Hisfirststepwastogetatthefacts。Hispreliminarymovewascharacteristicofhim。HesentforMcNish。
“McNish，“hesaid，“yourfiguresIhaveexamined。TheytellmenothingIdidnotknow，buttheyarecleverlysetdown。ThematterofwagesIshalldealwithasIhavealwaysdealtwithitinmybusiness。Theothermatter——“Mr。Maitlandpaused，thenproceededwithgravedeliberation，“Imustdealwithinmyownway。Itwilltakealittletime。Ishallnotdelayunnecessarily，butIshallacceptdictationfromnomanastomymethods。“
McNishstoodsilentlysearchinghisfacewithsteadyeyes。
“Youareanewmanhere，andIfindyouareagoodworkman，“
continuedMr。Maitland。“Idon抰knowyounoryouraimsandpurposesinthisGrievanceCommitteebusinessofyours。Ifyouwantasteadyjobwithachancetogeton，youwillgetboth；ifyouwanttrouble，youcangetthattoo，butnotforlong，here。“
StilltheScotheldhimwithgravesteadygaze，butspeakingnoword。
“Youunderstandme，McNish？“saidMaitland，nettledattheman抯
silence。
“Aye，A抳egotaheid，“hesaidinanimpassivevoice。
“Well，then，Ihopeyouwillgovernyourselfaccordingly。Good-
day，“saidMaitland，closingtheinterview。
McNishstillstoodimmovable。
“That抯allIhavetosay，“saidMaitland，glancingimpatientlyattheman。
“Butit抯noallAhavetosay，ifyewillpairmitme，“answeredMcNishinavoicequietandrespectfulandapparently，exceptforitsDoricflavour，quiteuntouchedbyemotionofanykindsoever。
“Goon，“saidMaitlandshortly，astheScotstoodwaiting。
“MaisterMaitland，“saidMcNish，rollingoutadeeperDoric，“yehavemadeapromiseandathreat。Yerethreatisnaethingtaeme。
Astaeyerejob，AwantitandAwanttaegeton，butA抦afreemanthenooan？afreemanAshalleverbe。Good-daytaeye。“Hebowedrespectfullytohisemployerandstrodefromtheroom。
Mr。Maitlandsatlookingatthecloseddoor。
“Heisaman，thatchap，atanyrate，“hesaidtohimself，“butwhat抯hisgame，Iwonder。Hewillbearwatching。“
TheverynextdayMaitlandmadeacloseinspectionofhisplant，beginningwiththesawmill。HefoundMcNishrunningoneofthelargercircularsaws，andnonetoodeftly。Hestoodobservingthemanforsomemomentsinsilence。Thensteppingtotheworkman抯
sidehesaid，“Youwillsavetime，Ithink，ifyoudoitthisway。“Heseizedtheleversand，eliminatinganunnecessarymovement，ranthelog。
McNishstoodcalmlyobserving。
“Aye，yerer-right，“hesaid。“Ye抣lhavedoneyonbefore。“
“YoujustbetIhave，“saidMaitland，notalittlepleasedwithhimself。
“A抦nosawman，“saidMcNish，alittlesullenly。“Adinnaken——I
don’tknowsawsofthissort。I’majoiner。Heputmeoffthebench。“
“Who？“saidMaitlandquickly。
“Yonmanny，“repliedMcNishwithunmistakabledisgust。
“Youwereonthebench，eh？Whatsortofworkwereyouon？“
“Awasdaein’abitcounterwork。Awasnafastenoughforhim。“
Mr。Maitlandcalledtheheadsawyer。
“Putamanonhereforawhile，Powell，willyou？Youcomewithme，McNish。“
Togethertheywentintotheplaningmill。Askingfortheforemanhefoundthathewasnowheretobeseen，thatindeedhehadnotbeeninthemillthatmorning。
“Showmeyourwork，McNish，“hesaid。
McNishledhimtoacornerofthemillwheresomefinecounterworkwasinprocess。
“That’smywork，“hesaid，pointingtoapieceofoakrailing。
Maitland，turningtheworkoverinhishands，ranhisfingeralongajointsomewhatclumsilyfitted。
“Notthat，“saidMcNishhastily。“Maworkstopshere。“
AgainMaitlandexaminedtherail。Hisexperiencedeyedetectedeasilythedifferenceintheworkmanship。
“Isthereanythingelseofyoursabouthere？“heasked。McNishwenttoapileoffinishedworkandfromitselectedasmallswingdoorbeautifullypanelled。Maitland’seyegleamed。
“Ah，that’sbetter，“hesaid。“Yes，that’sbetter。“
Heturnedtooneoftheworkmenatthebenchnearby。
“Whatjobisthis，Gibbon？“heasked。
“It’stheBankjob，Ithink，“saidGibbon。
“What？TheMerchants’Bankjob？Surelythatcan’tbe。Thatjobwasduetwoweeksago。“Maitlandturnedimpatientlytowardanolderman。“Ellis，“hesaidsharply，“doyouknowwhatjobthisis？“
Elliscameandturnedoverthedifferentpartsofthework。
“That’stheMerchants’Bankjob，sir，“hesaid。
“Thenwhatisholdingthisup？“enquiredMaitlandwrathfully。
“It’stheturnedwork，Ithink，sir。Iamnotsure，butIthinkI
heardMr。Perrotteaskingaboutthattwoorthreedaysago。“Mr。
Maitland’slipsmetinathinstraightline。
“Youcangobacktoyoursaw，McNish，“hesaidshortly。
“Ay，sir，“saidMcNish，histoneindicatingquietsatisfaction。
AtGibbon’sbenchhepaused。“Ye’llnopitonythingpasthim，adoot，“hesaid，withagrimsmile，andpassedout。
IneverypartoftheshopMr。Maitlandfoundsimilarexamplesofmismanagementandlackofco-ordinationinthevariousdepartmentsofthework。Itneedednomorethanacursoryinspectiontoconvincehimthatachangeofforemanwasasimplenecessity。
Everywherehefoundnotonlyevidenceofwasteoftimebutalsoofwasteofmaterial。Itcuthimtothehearttoseebeautifulwoodmangledandruined。Allhislifehehadworkedwithwoodsofdifferentkinds。Heknewthemstandinginalltheirmatchlessgrandeur，intheprimevalforestandhadfollowedthemstepbystepallthewaytothefinishedproduct。Neverwithoutaheartpangdidhewitnessanoblewhitepine，God’shandiworkofcenturies，comecrashingtoearththroughthemeanergrowthbeneaththechopper’saxe。Theonlythingthatredeemedsuchadeedfromsacrilege，inhismind，wastoseethetreefittinglytransformedintoarticlesofbeautyandworthsuitableforman’suse。Hence，whenhesawlyinghereandtheredeformedanddisfiguredfragmentsoftheexquisitelygrainedwhitespruce，whichduringthewar，hehadwithsuchcareselectedforhisaeroplaneparts，hisveryheartroseinindignantwrath。AndfilledwiththiswrathhemadehiswaytotheofficeandstraightwaysummonedWickesandhissonJacktoconference。
“Tonywillnevermakeaworkerinwood。Hecaresnothingforit，“
hesaidbitterly。
“Norinanythingelse，Dad，“saidJack，withalittlelaugh。
“Youlaugh，butitisnolaughingmatter，“saidhisfatherreproachfully。
“Iamsorry，Father，butyouknowIalwaysthoughtitwasamistaketoputTonyinchargeofanything。Why，hemighthavehadhiscommissionifhewerenotsuchanirresponsible，downwrightlazybeggar。Whatheneeds，asmyColonelusedtoprofanelysay，is’agoodold-fashionedSergeant-Majortoknockhelloutofhim’。And，believeme，Tonywasarattlingfinesoldierifhisofficerwouldregularly，systematicallyandeffectivelyexpelhisownspecialdevilfromhissystem。Heneedsthatstill。“
“Whatcanwedowithhim？Isimplycan’tandwon’tdismisshim，asthatinfernallyefficientandcoolheadedScotdemands。YouheardabouttheGrievanceCommittee？“
“Oh，thetownhasthestorywithembellishments。RupertStillwelltookcaretogivemeapicturesqueaccount。ButIwouldnothesitate，Dad。KickTonyagoodswiftkickonceaweekorso，or，ifthatisbeneathyourdignity，firehim。“
“But，Jack，lad，wecan’tdothat，“saidhisfather，greatlydistressed，“afterwhat——“
“Whynot？Hecarriedmeoutofthathellallright，andwhileI
liveIshallrememberthat。Butheisaselfishbeggar。Hehasn’ttheinstinctforteamplay。Hehasn’ttheideaofresponsibilityfortheteam。Hegetssothathecannotmakehimselfdowhathejustdoesn’tfeellikedoing。Hedoesn’tcareatinker’scursefortheotherfellowsinthegamewithhim。“
“Themanthatdoesn’tcareforotherfellowswillnevermakeaforeman，“saidMr。Maitlanddecisively。“Butcan’tsomethingbedonewithhim？“
“There’sonlyonewaytohandleTony，“saidJack。“Ilearnedthatlongagoinschool。Hewasaprinceofhalf-backs，youknow，butI
hadregularlytokickhimaboutbeforeeverybigmatch。Oh，TonyisafinesortbuthenearlybrokemyhearttillInearlybrokehisback。“
“Thatdoesnothelpmuch，Jack。“ForthefirsttimeinhislifeGrantMaitlandwasatalossastohowheshouldhandleoneofhismen。WereitnotfortheletterinthedeskathishandhewouldhavemadeshortworkofTonyPerrotte。Buttheretheletterlayandinhishearttheinerasiblepictureitsetforth。
“WhatisthespecialformthatTony’sdevilmenthastaken，mayI
ask？“enquiredJack。
“Well，Imaysaytoyou，whatWickesknowsandhasknownandhastriedforthreemonthstohidefrommeandfromhimself，Tonyhasmadeaboutascompleteamessoftheorganizationunderhiscareintheplaningmillascanbeimagined。Themillisstrewnwiththewreckageofunfulfilledorders。Hehasnosenseoftimevalue。
To-morrowisasgoodasto-day，nextweekasthisweek。Aforemanwithoutasenseoftimevalueisnogood。Andhedoesnotvaluematerial。Wastetohimisnothing。Anotherfataldefect。Themantowhomminutesarenotpotentialgoldandmaterialpotentialproductcanneverhopetobeamanufacturer。IfonlyIhadnotbeenawayfromhome！Butthethingis，whatistobedone？“
“Inthewordsofafamousstatesmanmuchabusedindeed，Isuggest，’Waitandsee。’Meantime，findsomewayofkickinghimintohisjob。“
Thisprovedtobeinthepresentsituationapolicyofwisdom。ItwasTonyhimselfwhofurnishedthesolution。FromthemensupposedtobeworkingunderhisordershelearnedthedayfollowingMaitland’svisitofinspectionsomethingofthedetailsofthatvisit。Hequicklymadeuphismindthatthedayofreckoningcouldnotlongbepostponed。NoneknewbetterthanTonyhimselfthathewasnoforeman；nonesowellthatheloathedthejobwhichhadbeenthrustuponhimbythefatherofthemanwhomhehadcarriedoutfromtheverymouthofhell。Itwassomethingtohiscreditthatheloathedhimselfforacceptingtheposition。Yet，withirresponsibleprocrastination，heputoffthedayofreckoning。
But，sometendayslater，andafteranightwithsomekindredspiritsofhisownBattalion，anightprolongedintotheearlyhoursoftheworkingday，Tonypresentedhimselfattheoffice，gay，reckless，desperate，butquitecomposmentisandquitemasterofhismeansoflocomotion。
Heappearedintheouteroffice，stillinhiseveninggarb。
“Mr。Wickes，“hesaidinsolemngravity，“pleasehaveyourstenographertakethisletter。“
Mr。Wickes，aghast，strovetohushhisvibranttones，indicatinginexcitedpantomimethepresenceofthechiefintheinneroffice。
HemightaseffectivelyhavestriventostaytheEastwindatthattimesweepingupthevalley。
“Areyouready，mydear？“saidTony，smilingpleasantlyatthegirl。“Allright，proceed。’DearMr。Maitland:’Gotthat？
’Consciousofmyunfitnessforthepositionofforemanin——’“
“Hush，hush，Tony，“imploredMr。Wickes。
Tonywavedhimaside。
