“It won’t save us a cent.” “But--” “I’ve got it all figured out. You see, I’ve had this on my mind a long time.” “Yes, that may be true, still--” “It won’t save us a cent, Ethel,” the superintendent drawled again, having recovered his own temper. “This Bogata order’s got to be filled. It will do no good to delay the purchase of supplies. It’s Friday now. If we wrote to-night we could not expect an answer before Tuesday or Wednesday from Barton. And I can point out to you why even he cannot change matters now.” “Why?” she demanded sharply. He picked up the letter which had accompanied the schedule of the order from the Bogata Company of Norville. If he smiled Ethel did not see it, for she was eagerly scanning the paragraph to which Mayberry’s finger pointed: “Prices and terms as agreed upon in our last two orders. If we hear nothing to the contrary within ten days shall consider the order and terms accepted and will look for delivery of first quota of goods within ninety days.” “Actually,” drawled Mayberry, “this order was accepted by us more than a month ago. It was evident that Barton did not send the letter you wrote, and removed the copy of it from the file. The schedule came to me in the usual way. There is nothing more to be said about it, Ethel. I believe that Frank himself said something about The Hapwood-Diller Company never reneging on a job. It would be a bad precedent to do so when he is absent from his post.” He said it so that the girl actually winced. To think of Jim Mayberry pointing out to her the ethics of the matter! “The fact is,” he pursued, coolly, “I have got to get a hustle on to make the first delivery within the specified time. I have already arranged to increase the output of Shop Number Two in order to do this. We shall run four or five hours overtime five days a week, beginning Monday. We’re crowded with work as it is; and this Bogata order is a big one.” Ethel listened to him in silence. She realized that it was useless to say anything more. Her heart pounded in her ears, but her countenance remained pale. She felt the approach of disaster when she turned away from his desk with the letter file-drawer in her arms. “Don’t trouble your head about it, Ethel,” he called after her. “You take everything too blamed seriously--just as I told you before. It won’t get you anywhere----” But she had closed the door between them. Had she turned to answer she realized very clearly that she would have said something for which she might be sorry afterward. CHAPTER IX THE DUTY DEVOLVES Ethel Clayton felt the assurance of wrongdoing on the part of the superintendent of the Hapwood-Diller Company. Yet she could not tell why nor how. That the concern had been drawn into the Bogata affair by some trick was without question. Mayberry’s look and words alone would have proved that to her satisfaction.