Calumet K""

that he would be back at work next day, and when he did appear, on Wednesday of the next week, his bleared eyes and di

o Reilly. "I don't ask you to do the same. You're not wanted on

ked him. "That's all right," he said. "I know y

Bannon repeated his i

eating him unjustly and with drawing a revolver on him. Of course, in a case like this, we

it had happened. The agent said cau

d against his. If you'd like to investigate the bu

he hammer by accident, would y

telling you what I'll do till you tel

his hand when th

ything you don't understand, come out and we'll talk it ove

chaps, mostly, those walking delegates," he said. "If you treat 'em half as well as you'd treat a yellow dog, they're likely to be very reasonable. If one

rascal?"

ind 'em. Even if he'd

y and began turning over

next story looks," he

y at their first meeting

oken s

that was not the end of the incident. Coming out on the distributing floor just before noon on Thursday, he found Grady in the act of delivering an impassioned or

and saw who was coming. Bannon noted with satisfaction the scared look of appeal which he t

easantly enough. "How a

shoulders, held up his head, and, frowning in an important ma

ou can spare the time," he said politely, "I

conciliate him, Grady grew more important. "Very well," he sa

d Bannon, patien

y; but the men had worked with only half their minds and had given as close attention as they dared to the delegate's fervid utterances. But from the moment Bannon appeared there had been a

he boss, wondering why he didn't go away, but Bannon continued to stand there, giving an occasional direction, and watching the progress of the work with much satisfaction

go with you,

mportance had made upon the men, but he determined to counteract it as thoroughly as possible, then and

he elevator." His tone was friendly but his grip was like a man-trap, and he was propelling Grady straight toward the edge of the building. Four big timbers had

I suppose you'd be glad to get rid of

ook, "if you feel that way about it. We'll have a regular passenger elevator in here by and by, with an electric bell and slidin

to follow him down the hoist or to walk down on the ladders, for every one had seen that Grady was afr

e next load. He took a long time getting ready, but at last they started him. He was the color of a handful of waste when he reached the

the look of things? I hope you did

evel. "Do you dare pretend that you are treating these men right? Who gave you the right to decide that this man shall live and this man shall die, and

ccident, I suppose. Well, go and ask that man if he has any

, and yet you oppressors can c

st is rigged?" Bannon cut in quietly. "You've been i

don't risk his life more or less. MacBride don't compel men to risk their lives; he pays 'em for doing it, and you can bet he's done it himself. W

oting their honest labor to you. You may think you're a slave driver, but you aren't. You ma

is looking after him. He had thrown a hammer down into a bin wher

n. There is a watchful eye on you. The next time I come it will n

ght to get on all right together. After this, if the men lodge any complaint with you, come to me; don't go out on the job a

ty of Max and Hilda, but it happened that the two or three under-foremen whom he liked best were on the day shift. The night's work with none of those pleasant little momentary interruptio

nnon to supersede him, but so long as he had plenty to do and was in Bannon's company every hour of the day, he had not taken time to think about it much. But now he thought of little else, and as time went on he succeeded in twisting nearly everything the new boss had said o

at with his friends, but he had somewhat childishly decided he wasn't wanted there while Miss Vogel was in the office, so he sat still and whittled, and took another view of his grievances. Glancing up, he saw Grady, the walking delegate, coming alo

ng in toward the steps. "I suppose I ought to lick you after what's passed betwee

said P

aving, and just the thing for you on

st-r

as there the other day looking at it. And, by the way

step below Peterson. Now for t

hustler," s

times made that way. But how does it happen that you're not down there superin

er. The office sent Bannon d

you first-rate, Mr. Peterson. I'm not saying they don't like anybody else, but they like you. But peopl

d off-yet. He's put me in

enough in the daytime to satisfy anybody. But I suppose some rich ma

ys the bins have got to be chock full of grain before January first, n

urry. January first! That's quick work, and he don't care how much it costs him. O

s 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 m

he neared the office, and when he finally saw Bannon he decided to say nothing about it whatever. He decided thus partly because he wished to make his conversation with Bannon as short as possible, partly because he had not made up his