the efficiency expert-第15部分

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ou're　the　most　efficient　looking　person　I　ever　saw；　and　if　you　want　a　reference　I'll　say　this　much　for　you；　you're　the　most　efficient　waiter　that　Feinheimer　ever　had。　He　said　so　himself；　even　after　he　canned　you。〃

〃Your　enthusiasm；〃　said　Jimmy；　〃is　contagious。　　If　it　wasn't　for　these　sorry　rags　of　mine　I'd　take　a　chance　on　that　hunch　of　yours。〃

The　girl　laid　her　hand　impulsively　upon　his。

〃Won't　you　let　me　help　you？〃　she　asked。　〃I'd　like　to；　and　it　will　only　be　a　loan　if　you　wanted　to　look　at　it　that　way。　Enough　to　get　you　a　decent…looking　outfit；　such　an　outfit　as　you　ought　to　have　to　land　a　good　job。　I　know；　and　everybody　else　knows；　that　clothes　do　count　no　matter　what　we　say　to　the　contrary。　I'll　bet　you're　some　looker　when　you're　dolled　up！　Please；〃　she　continued　〃just　try　it　for　a　gamble？〃

〃I　don't　see　how　I　can；〃　he　objected。　　〃The　chances　are　I　could　never　pay　you　back；　and　there　is　no　reason　in　the　world　why　you　should　loan　me　money。　You　are　certainly　under　no　obligation　to　me。〃

〃I　wish　you　would　let　me；　Jimmy；〃　she　said。　〃It　would　make　me　awfully　happy！〃

The　man　hesitated。

〃Oh；〃　she　said；　〃I'm　going　to　do　it；　anyway。　Wait　a　minute；〃　and；　rising；　she　left　the　table。

In　a　few　minutes　she　returned。　〃Here；〃　she　said；　〃you've　got　to　take　it；〃　and　extended　her　hand　toward　him　beneath　the　edge　of　the　table。　〃I　can't；〃　said　Jimmy。　〃It　wouldn't　be　right。〃

The　girl　looked　at　him　and　flushed。

〃Do　you　mean；〃　she　said；　〃because　it's　mybecause　of　what　I　am？〃

〃Oh；　no；〃　said　Jimmy；　〃please　don't　think　that！〃　　And　impulsively　he　took　her　hand　beneath　the　table。　At　the　contact　the　girl　caught　her　breath　with　a　little　quick…drawn　sigh。

〃Here；　take　it！〃　she　said；　and　drawing　her　hand　away　quickly；　left　a　roll　of　bills　in　Jimmy's　hand。




CHAPTER　XVI。

JIMMY　THROWS　A　BLUFF。

That　afternoon　Mr。　Harold　Bince　had　entered　his　superior's　office　with　an　afternoon　paper　in　his　hand。

〃What's　the　idea　of　this　ad；　Mr。　Compton？〃　he　asked。　　〃Why　do　we　need　an　efficiency　expert？　I　wish　you　had　let　me　know　what　you　intended　doing。〃

〃I　knew　that　if　I　told　you；　Harold；　you　would　object；〃　said　the　older　man；　〃and　I　thought　I　would　have　a　talk　with　several　applicants　before　saying　anything　about　it　to　any　one。　Of　course；　whoever　we　get　will　work　with　you；　but　I　would　rather　not　have　it　generally　known　about　the　plant。　There　seems　to　be　a　leak　somewhere　and　evidently　we　are　too　close　to　the　work　to　see　it　ourselves。　It　will　require　an　outsider　to　discover　it。〃

〃I　am　very　much　opposed　to　the　idea；〃　said　Bince。　〃These　fellows　usually　do　nothing　more　than　disrupt　an　organization。　We　have　a　force　that　has　been　here；　many　of　them；　for　years。　There　is　as　little　lost　motion　in　this　plant　as　in　any　in　the　country；　and　if　we　start　in　saddling　these　men　with　a　lot　of　red　tape　which　will　necessitate　their　filling　out　innumerable　forms　for　every　job；　about　half　their　time　will　be　spent　in　bookkeeping；　which　can　just　as　well　be　done　here　in　the　office　as　it　is　now。　I　hope　that　you　will　reconsider　your　intention　and　let　us　work　out　our　own　solution　in　a　practical　manner；　which　we　can　do　better　in　the　light　of　our　own　experience　than　can　an　outsider　who　knows　nothing　of　our　peculiar　problems。〃

〃We　will　not　permit　the　organization　to　be　disrupted；〃　replied　Mr。　Compton。　〃It　may　do　a　lot　of　good　to　get　a　new　angle　on　our　problems　and　at　least　it　will　do　no　harm。〃

〃I　can't　agree　with　you；〃　replied　Bince。　　〃I　think　it　will　do　a　lot　of　harm。〃

Compton　looked　at　his　watch。　　〃It　is　getting　late；　Harold；〃　he　said；　〃and　this　is　pay…day。　I　should　think　Everett　could　help　you　with　the　pay…roll。〃　Everett　was　the　cashier。

〃I　prefer　to　do　it　myself；〃　replied　Bince。　　〃Everett　has　about　all　he　can　do；　and　anyway；　I　don't　like　to　trust　it　to　any　one　else。〃　And　realizing　that　Compton　did　not　care　to　discuss　the　matter　of　the　efficiency　expert　further　Bince　returned　to　his　own　office。

The　following　afternoon　the　office　boy　entered　Mr。　Compton's　office。　〃A　gentleman　to　see　you；　Sir；〃　he　announced。　〃He　said　to　tell　you　that　he　came　in　reply　to　your　advertisement。〃

〃Show　him　in；〃　instructed　Compton；　and　a　moment　later　Jimmy　entereda　rehabilitated　Jimmy。　Upon　his　excellent　figure　the　ready…maid　suit　had　all　the　appearance　of　faultlessly　tailored　garments。　Compton　looked　up　at　his　visitor；　and　with　the　glance　he　swiftly　appraised　Jimmya　glance　that　assured　him　that　here　might　be　just　the　man　he　wanted；　for　intelligence；　aggressiveness　and　efficiency　were　evidently　the　outstanding　characteristics　of　the　young　man　before　him。　After　Jimmy　had　presented　himself　the　other　motioned　him　to　a　chair。

〃I　am　looking；〃　said　Mr。　Compton；　〃for　an　experienced　man　who　can　come　in　here　and　find　out　just　what　is　wrong　with　us。　We　have　an　old…established　business　which　has　been　making　money　for　years。　We　are　taking　all　the　work　that　we　can　possibly　handle　at　the　highest　prices　we　have　ever　received；　and　yet　our　profits　are　not　at　all　commensurate　with　the　volume　of　business。　It　has　occurred　to　me　that　an　experienced　man　from　the　outside　would　be　able　to　more　quickly　put　his　finger　on　the　leaks　and　stop　them。　Now　tell　me　just　what　your　experience　has　been　and　we　will　see　if　we　can　come　to　some　understanding。〃

From　his　pocket　Jimmy　drew　a　half…dozen　envelopes；　and　taking　the　contents　from　them　one　by　one　laid　them　on　the　desk　before　Mr。　Compton。　On　the　letter…heads　of　half　a　dozen　large　out…of…town　manufacturers　in　various　lines　were　brief　but　eulogistic　comments　upon　the　work　done　in　their　plants　by　Mr。　James　Torrance；　Jr。　As　he　was　reading　them　Mr。　Compton　glanced　up　by　chance　to　see　that　the　face　of　the　applicant　was　slightly　flushed；　which　he　thought　undoubtedly　due　to　the　fact　that　the　other　knew　he　was　reading　the　words　of　praise　contained　in　the　letters；　whereas　the　truth　of　the　matter　was　that　Jimmy's　color　was　heightened　by　a　feeling　of　guilt。

〃These　are　very　good；〃　said　Mr。　Compton；　looking　up　from　the　letters。　〃I　don't　know　that　I　need　go　any　further。　A　great　deal　depends　on　a　man's　personality　in　a　position　of　this　sort；　and　from　your　appearance　I　should　imagine　that　you're　all　right　along　that　line　and　you　seem　to　have　had　the　right　kind　of　experience。　Now；　what　arrangement　can　we　make？〃

Jimmy　had　given　the　matter　of　pay　considerable　thought；　but　the　trouble　was　that　be　did　not　know　what　an　efficiency　expert　might　be　expected　to　demand。　He　recalled　vaguely　that　the　one　his　father　had　employed　got　something　like　ten　dollars　a　day；　or　one　hundred　a　day；　Jimmy　couldn't　remember　which；　and　so　he　was　afraid　that　he　might　ask　too　much　and　lose　the　opportunity；　or　too　little　and　reveal　that　he　had　no　knowledge　of　the　value　of　such　services。

〃I　would　rather　leave　that　to　you；〃　he　said。　〃What　do　you　think　the　work　would　be　worth　to　you？〃

〃Do　you　expect　to　continue　in　this　line　of　work？〃　asked　Mr。　Compton。　　〃When　this　job　is　finished　you　would　want　to　go　somewhere　else；　I　suppose？〃

Jimmy　saw　an　opening　and　leaped　for　it。　〃Oh；　no！〃　he　replied。　〃On　the　contrary；　I　wouldn't　mind　working　into　a　permanent　position；　and　if　you　think　there　might　be　a　possibility　of　that　I　would　consider　a　reasonable　salary　arrangement　rather　than　the　usual　contract　rate　for　expert　service。〃

〃It　is　very　possible；〃　said　Mr。　Compton；　〃that　if　you　are　the　right　man　there　would　be　a　permanent　place　in　the　organization　for　you。　With　that　idea　in　mind　I　should　say　that　two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　a　month　might　be　a　mutually　fair　arrangement　to　begin　with。〃

Two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　a　month！　　Jimmy　tried　to　look　bored；　but　not　too　bored。

〃Of　course；〃　he　said；　〃with　the　idea　that　it　may　become　a　permanent；　well…paying　position　I　think　I　might　be　inclined　to　consider　itin　fact；　I　am　very　favorably　inclined　toward　it；〃　he　added　hastily　as　he　thought　he　noted　a　sudden　waning　of　interest　in　Compton's　expression。　〃But　be　sure　yourself　that　I　am　the　man　you　want。　For　instance；　my　methodsyou　should　know　something　of　them　first。〃

In　Jimmy's　pocket　was　a　small　book　he　had　purchased　at　a　second…hand　bookshop　the　evening　before；　upon　the　cover　of　which　appeared　the　title　〃How　to　Get　More　Out　of　Your　Factory。〃　He　had　not　had　sufficient　time　to　study　it　thoroughly；　but　had　succeeded　in　memorizing　several　principal　headings　on　the　contents　page。

〃At　first；〃　he　explained；　〃I　won't　seem　to　be　accomplishing　much；　as　I　always　lay　the　foundation　of　my　future　work　by　studying　my　men。　Some　men　have　that　within　them　which　spurs　them　on；　while　some　need　artificial　initiativeoutside　encouragement；〃　he　quoted　glibly　from　〃How　to　Get　More　Out　of　Your　Factory。〃　〃Some　men　extend　themselves　under　stern　discipline；　some　respond　only　to　a　gentle　rein。　I　study　menthe　men　over　me；　under　me；　around　me。　I　study　them　and　learn　how　to　get　from　each　the　most　that　is　in　him。　At　the　same　time　I　shall　be　looking　for　leaks　and　investigating　timekeeping　methods；　wage…paying　systems　and　planning　on　efficiency　producers。　Later　I　shall　start　reducing　costs　by　studying　machines；　handling　material　economically　and　producing　power　at　lowest　cost；　keeping　the　product　moving；　making　environment　count　on　the　balance…sheet　and　protecting　against　accident　and　fire。〃　This　was　as　far　as　Jimmy　had　memorized；　and　so　he　stopped。

〃I　think；〃　said　Mr。　Compton；　〃that　you　have　the　right　idea。　　Some　of　your　points　are　not　entirely　clear　to　me；　as　there　are　many　modern　methods　that　I　have　not；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　investigated　sufficiently。〃

Jimmy　did　not　think　it　necessary　to　explain　that　they　were　not　clear　to　him　either。

〃And　now；〃　said　Compton；　〃if　you　are　satisfied　with　the　salary；　when　can　you　start？〃

Jimmy　rose　with　a　brisk　and　businesslike　manner。　〃I　am　free　now；〃　he　said；　〃with　the　exception　of　a　little　personal　business　which　I　can　doubtless　finish　up　tomorrowsuppose　I　come　Thursday？〃

〃Good；〃　exclaimed　Compton；　〃but　before　you　go　I　want　you　to　meet　our　assistant　general　manager；　Mr。　Bince。〃　And　he　led　Jimmy　toward　Bince's　office。

〃This　is　Mr。　Torrance；　Harold；〃　said　Mr。　Compton　as　they　entered；　〃Mr。　Bince；　Mr。　Torrance。　Mr。　Torrance　is　going　to　help　us　systematize　the　plant。　He　will　report　directly　to　me　and　I　know　you　will　do　everything　in　your　power　to　help　him。　You　can　go　to　Mr。　Bince