When Captain Charlie came up to them, his father moved on to the window so that for a moment the two friends were alone. "It's come, Charlie," said John, in a low tone. "Father told me and gave it out to the superintendent to-day." "Hurrah!" said Charlie Martin, and he would have said more but his comrade interrupted him. "Shut up, will you? We must go out to the hill to-morrow for a talk. I'll come for you early." "Right!" said Charlie with a grin, "but may I be permitted to say congratulations?" "Congratulations your foot!" returned the new general manager. "It's going to be one whale of a job, old man." The last of the stragglers came near and Charlie Martin moved on, in his turn, to the pay window. When John arrived home in the late afternoon, his sister met him with many joyful exclamations. "Is father in earnest? Are you really to take his place, John?" John laughed. "You would have thought he was in earnest if you had heard him." Then he asked, soberly, "Where is father, Helen; is he all right?" "He has been shut up in his room all alone ever since he told us," she returned, sadly. "I do hope he will be better now that he is to have complete rest." As if determined to permit no cloud to mar the joy of the occasion, she continued, with eager interest, "Do tell me about it, brother. Were the men in the office glad? Aren't you happy and proud? And how did the workmen take it?" "The people in the office were very nice," he answered, smiling back at her. "Good old George looked a little like he wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. The men in the plant don't know yet, except Charlie--I told him." A little shadow fell over Helen's happy face and she looked away. "I suppose of course you would tell Charlie Martin the first thing," she said, slowly. Then, throwing her arm suddenly about his neck, she kissed him. "You are a dear, silly, sentimental old thing, but I am as proud as I can be of you." "As for that," returned John, "I guess it must run in the family somehow. I notice little things now and then that make me think my sister may not always be exactly a staid, matter-of-fact old lady owl." When he had laughed at her blushes, and had teased her as a brother is in duty bound, he said, seriously, "Will you tell me something, Helen? Something that I want very much to know--straight from you." "What is it, John?" "Are you going to marry Jim McIver?" "How do you know that he wants me?" "Father told me to-day. Don't fence please, dear. Either tell me straight out or tell me to mind my own business." She replied with straightforward honesty, "Mr. McIver has asked me, John, but I can't tell you what my answer will be. I don't know myself." CHAPTER X CONCERNING THE NEW MANAGER