“Iamtakingyouhome。Seeyouto-night，sir，“Jackadded，noddingtohisfather。
Thetwoyoungmenpassedouttogethertothecar。
“Yes，Tony，“saidJack，“Ihavetakenoveryourjob。“
“Myjob？Whatdoyoumeanbythat？“askedTony，bitterandsulleninfaceandtone。
“Iamthenewmanageroftheplaningmill。Dadhadyouslatedforthatposition，butyouhadn’tmanager-timberinyou。“
Tony’sanswerwasanoath，deepandheartfelt。
“Yes，“continuedJack，“manager-timberisrareandslow-growingstuff，Tony。“
AgainTonysworebutkeptsilence，andsoremainedtilltheyhadreachedhishome。Togethertheywalkedintothelivingroom。
TheretheyfoundAnnette，andwithherMcNish。Bothroseupontheirentrance，McNishshowingsomeslightconfusion，andassumingtheattitudeofabulldogonguard，Annettevividlyeager，expectant，anxious。
“Well，“shecried，herhandsgoingflutteringtoherbosom。
“Ihavegotajob，Annette，“saidTony，withashortlaugh。“Hereismyboss。“
ForamomenttheothersstoodlookingatJack，surprisedintomotionlesssilence。
“Itellyou，heisthenewmanager，“repeatedTony，“andheismyboss。“
“Whatdoeshemean，Jack？“criedthegirl，comingforwardtoMaitlandwithaquick，impulsivemovement。
“Justwhathesays，Annette。IamthenewmanageroftheplaningmillandIhavegivenTonyajob。“
Againtherefellasilence。IntotheeyesofthebulldogMcNishthereshotastrangegleamofsomethingthatseemedalmostlikepleasure。Inthosebriefmomentsofsilencelifewasreadjustingitselfwiththemall。Maitlandhadpassedfromtherankandfileoftheworkersintotheclassofthosewhodirectandcontroltheirwork。BredastheywereandtrainedastheywereinthedemocraticatmosphereofCanada，theywereimmediatelyconsciousoftheshiftingofvalues。
Annettewasthefirsttobreaksilence。“IwishIcouldthankyou，“shesaid，“butIcannot。Icannot。“Thegirl’sfacehadchanged。Theeagerlighthadfadedfromherdarkeyes，herhandsdroppedquietlytoherside。“ButIamsureyouknow，“sheaddedafterapause，“howvery，verygratefulIam，howgratefulweallare，Mr。Maitland。“
“Annette，“saidJackseverely，“dropthat’Mr。’stuff。Iwasyourfriendyesterday。AmIanylessyourfriendto-day？Trueenough，IamTony’sboss，butTonyismyfriend——thatis，ifhewantstohaveitso。Youmustbelievethis，Annette。“
Heofferedherhishand。Withasuddenimpulseshetookitinbothofhersandheldithardagainstherbreast，hereyesmeanwhileburningintohiswithalookofadoration，openandunashamed。Sheapparentlyforgottheothersintheroom。
“Jack，“shecried，hervoicethrillingwithpassion，“Idon’tcarewhatyouare。Idon’tcarewhatyouthink。Iwillnever，neverforgetwhatyouhavedoneforme。“
MaitlandflungaswiftglanceatMcNishandwasstartledatthelookofrage，ofagonisedrage，thatconvulsedhisface。
“MydearAnnette，“hesaid，withalightlaugh，“don’tmaketoomuchofit。IwasgladtohelpTonyandyou。Whyshouldn’tIhelpoldfriends？“
Ashewasspeakingtheyheardthesoundofadoorclosingandlookingabout，JackfoundthatMcNishhadgone，tobefollowedbyTonyamomentortwolater。
“Oh，nevermindhim，“criedAnnette，answeringJack’slookofsurprise。“Hehastogotowork。Anditdoesn’tmatterintheleast。“
JackwasvaguelydisturbedbyMcNish’ssuddendisappearance。
“But，Annette，“hesaid，“Idon’twantMcNishtothinkthatI——thatyou——“
“What？“Sheleanedtowardhim，herfaceallglowingwithwarmandeagerlight，hereyesaflame，herbosomheaving。“What，Jack？“shewhispered。“Whatdoesitmatterwhathethinks？“
Heputouthishands。Withaquick，lightstepshewasclosetohim，herfaceliftedupinpassionatesurrender。SwiftlyJack’sarmswentaroundherandhedrewhertowardhim。
“Annette，dear，“hesaid，andhisvoicewasquietandkind，tookind。“Youareadeargirlandagoodgirl，andIamgladtohavehelpedyouandshallalwaysbegladtohelpyou。“
ThedooropenedandTonyslippedintotheroom。Withpassionateviolence，Annettethrewawaytheencirclingarms。
“Ah！“shecried，asobcatchinghervoice。“You——youshameme。
No——Ishamemyself。“Rigid，withheadflungback，shestoodbeforehim，hereyesablazewithpassionateanger，herhandsclenchedtight。Shehadflungherselfathimandhadbeenrejected。
“Whatthedevilisthis？“criedTony，stridingtowardthem。“Whatishedoingtoyou，Annette？“
“He？“criedAnnette，herbreathcominginsobs。“Tome？Nothing！
Keepoutofit，Tony。“Shepushedhimfiercelyaside。“Hehasdonenothing！No！No！Nothingbutwhatisgoodandkind。Ah！
kind。Yes，kind。“Hervoiceroseshrillinscornofherselfandofhim。“Oh，yes，heiskind。“Shelaughedwildly，thenbrokeintopassionatetears。Sheturnedfromthemandfledtoherroom，leavingthetwomenlookingateachother。
“Poorchild，“saidJack，thefirsttorecoverspeech。“Sheisquiteallin。Shehashadtwohardweeksofit。“
“Twohardweeks，“repeatedTony，hiseyesglaring。“Whatisthematterwithmysister？Whathaveyoudonetoher？“Hisvoicewaslikethegrowlofasavagedog。
“Don’tbeaconfoundedfool，Tony，“repliedJack。“Yououghttoknowwhatisthematterwithyoursister。Youhavehadsomethingtodowithit。Andnowyourjobistoseeifyoucanmakeituptoher。To-morrowmorning，atseveno’clock，remember，“hesaidcurtly，and，turningonhisheel，hepassedout。
ItseemedtoJackashedrovehomethatlifehadsuddenlybecomeatangleofperplexitiesandcomplications。FirsttherewasAnnette。
Hewasgenuinelydistressedashethoughtofthescenethroughwhichtheyhadjustpassed。Thathehimselfhadanythingtodowithherstateofminddidnotoccurtohim。
“Poorlittlegirl，“hesaidtohimself，“shereallyneedsachangeofsomesort，acompleterest。Wemustfindsomewayofhelpingher。Shewillbeallrightinadayortwo。“Withwhichhedismissedthesubject。
ThentherewasMcNish。McNishwasasorepuzzletohim。HehadcometoregardtheScotchmanwithafeelingofsincerefriendliness。
Herememberedgratefullyhisreadyandefficienthelpagainsttheattacksoftheradicalelementamonghisfellowworkmen。Onseveraloccasionshe，withtheReverendMurdoMatheson，hadforegatheredintheMcNishhometodiscusseconomicproblemsoveraquietpipe。HewasalwaysconsciousofareservedeepeningattimestoasullennessinMcNish’smanner，thecauseofwhichhecouldnotcertainlydiscover。ThatMcNishwaspossessedofamentalityofmorethanordinarypowertherewasnomannerofdoubt。JackhadoftenlistenedwithamazementtohisargumentationwiththeReverendMurdo，againstwhomheprovedoverandoveragainhisabilitytoholdhisown，theminister’ssuperiorityasatrainedlogicianbeingmorethancounterbalancedbyhisantagonist’spracticalexperience。
Ashethoughtoftheseevenings，hewasreadytobelievethathissuspicionoftheScotchman’sill-willtowardhimselfwasduelargelytoimagination，andyethecouldnotridhimselfoftheunpleasantmemoryofMcNish’sconvulsedfacethatafternoon。
“Whatthedeuceisthematterwiththebeggar，anyway？“hesaidtohimself。
Suddenlyanewsuggestioncametohim。
“Itcan’tbe，“headded，“surelytheidiotisnotjealous。“ThenherememberedAnnette’sattitudeatthemoment，herhandspressinghishardtoherbreast，herfaceliftedupinsomethingmorethanappeal。“ByJove！Ibelievethatmaybeit，“hemused。“AndAnnette？Hadsheobservedit？Whatwasinherheart？WasthereareasonfortheScotchman’sjealousyonthatside？“
Thisthoughtdisturbedhimgreatly。Hewasnotpossessedofalargermeasureofself-conceitthanfallstothelotoftheaverageyoungman，butthethoughtthatpossiblyAnnettehadcometoregardhimotherthanasafriendreleasedanewtideofemotionwithinhim。Rapidlyhepassedinreviewmanyincidentsintheirassociationduringthemonthssincehereturnedfromthewar，andgraduallytheconvictionforceditselfuponhimthatpossiblyMcNishwasnotwithoutsomecauseforjealousy。Itwasrottenluckandwasboundtointerferewiththeirpresenthappyrelations。Yetnonethelesswasheconsciousthatitwasnotaltogetheranunpleasantthoughttohimthatinsomesubtlewayanewbondhadbeenestablishedbetweenthischarmingyounggirlandhimself。
ButhemuststraightenthingsoutwithMcNishattheveryfirstopportunity。HewasadecentchapandwouldmakeAnnetteafirst-
ratehusband。Indeed，itpleasedJacknotalittletofeelthathewouldbeabletofurtherthefortunesofboth。McNishhadgoodforemantimberinhimandwouldmakeacapableassistant。Astothissillyprejudiceofhis，Jackresolvedthathewouldtakestepsimmediatelytohavethatremoved。Thathecouldaccomplishthishehadlittledoubt。
Butthemostacutelypressingoftheproblemsthatengagedhismindwerethosethataroseoutofhisnewpositionasmanager。Themereorganizinganddirectingofmenintheirworkgavehimlittleanxiety。Hewassureofhimselfasfarasthatwasconcerned。Hewassureofhisabilitytointroduceamongthemenasystemofteamplaythatwouldresultinincreasedproductionandwouldinducealtogetherbetterresults。Hethoughtheknewwheretheweakspotswere。HecountedgreatlyuponthesupportofthemenwhohadbeenassociatedwithhimintheMaitlandMillsAthleticAssociation。
Withtheirbacking，hewascertainthathecouldeliminatemostofthatveryconsiderablewastageintimethatevenacursoryobservationhadrevealedtohimintheshops，duetosuchcausesasdilatoryworkers，idlemachines，lackofco-ordination，improperroutingofwork，andthelike。Hehadthesuspicionthatalittleinvestigationwouldrevealothercausesofwastageaswell。
Therewasonefeatureinthesituationthatgavehimconcernandthatwastheradicalelementintheunions。Simmonsandhisganghadfromtheveryfirstassumedanattitudeofhostilitytohimself，hadsoughttounderminehisinfluenceandhadfoughthisplansforthepromotionofcleansportamongtheMillmen。NoneknewbetterthanSimmonsthatanactiveinterestincleanandvigorousoutdoorsportstendedtoproducecontentmentofmind，andacontentedbodyofmenofferedunfertilesoilforradicalandsocialisticdoctrines。Hence，SimmonshadfromthefirstopenlyandvociferouslyopposedwithcontemptuousandbitterindignationallJack’sschemesandplansforthepromotionofathleticsports。
ButJackhadbeenabletocarrythemenwithhimandtherecentsplendidvictoryoverafamousteamhaddonemuchtodiscreditbrotherSimmonsandhispropaganda。
AlreadyJackwasplanninganewscheduleofgamesforthesummer。
Baseball，football，cricket，wouldgiveoccupationandinteresttoallclassesofMillworkers。Andinhisnewpositionhefelthemightbeable，toanevengreaterdegree，tocarryouttheplanswhichhehadinmind。Ontheotherhand，heknewfullwellthatmenwereapttobesuspiciousofwelfareschemes“promotedfromabove。“Hisownhockeymenhefeltsurehecouldcarrywithhim。
IfhecouldonlywinMcNishtobehissergeant-major，successwouldbeassured。Thismustbehisfirstcare。
HewellknewthatMcNishhadnoloveforSimmons，whomtheScotchmandespisedfirst，becausehewasnocraftsman，andchieflybecausehehadnosoundly-basedsystemofeconomicsbutwasgovernedbythesheerestopportunisminallhisactivities。A
combinationbetweenMcNishandSimmonsmightcreateasituationnoteasytodealwith。Jackresolvedthatthatcombinationshouldbeprevented。HewouldseeMcNishatonce，afterthemeetingofhislocal，whichherememberedwassetforthatverynight。
Thismatterbeingsettled，hedeterminedtoproceedimmediatelytotheofficeforaninterviewwithWickes。Hemustgettoknowasspeedilyaspossiblesomethingoftheshoporganizationandofitseffectuponproduction。HefoundMr。Wickesawaitinghimwithtremulousandexultantdelight，eagertoputhimself，hisexperience，hisknowledgeandallthathepossessedatthedisposalofthenewmanager。Thewholeafternoonwasgiventothiswork，andbeforethedaywasdone，Jackhadinhismindacompletepictureoftheplaningmill，witheverymachineinplaceandanestimate，moreorlessexact，ofthecapacityofeverymachine。Inthecourseofthisinvestigation，hewassurprisedtodiscoverthattherewasnodetailedrecordoftheactualproductionofeachmachine，nor，indeed，anythinginthewayofanaccuratecostsysteminanydepartmentofthewholebusiness。
“Howdoyoukeeptrackofyourmenandtheirwork，Wickes？“heinquired。
“Oh！“saidtheoldman，“theforemenknowallaboutthat，Mr。
Jack。“