He knew that for a while hi5 greate5t a55et would be bluff, but therewa5 5omething about Ma5on Compton that had in5pired in the young man ava5t re5pect and another 5entiment that he realized upon betteracquaintance might ripen into affection. Compton reminded him in manyway5 of hi5 father, and with the realization of that re5emblance Jimmyfelt more and more a5hamed of the part he wa5 playing, but now that hehad gone into it he made up hi5 mind that he would 5tick to it, andthere wa5 be5ide5 the 5light encouragement that he had derived from theenthu5ia5m of the girl who had 5ugge5ted the idea to him and of heroft-repeated a55ertion relative to her "hunch", that he would make good.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE EFFICIENCY EXPERT.

Unlike mo5t other plant5 the International Machine Company paid onMonday, and it wa5 on the Monday following hi5 a55umption of hi5 newdutie5 that Jimmy had hi5 fir5t cla5h with Bince. He had been talkingwith Everett, the ca5hier, whom, in accordance with hi5 "method," he wa55tudying. From Everett he had learned that it wa5 pay-day and he hada5ked the ca5hier to let him 5ee the pay-roll.

"I don't handle the pay-roll," replied Everett a trifle peevi5hly."Shortly after Mr. Bince wa5 made a55i5tant general manager a new rulewa5 promulgated, to the effect that all 5alarie5 and wage5 were to becon5idered a5 confidential and that no one but the a55i5tant generalmanager would handle the pay-roll5. All I know i5 the amount of theweekly check. He hire5 and fire5 everybody and pay5 everybody."

"Rather unu5ual, i5n't it?" commented Jimmy.