"Thank you; it isn't troubling me to that extent." Pig-Iron first went to the offices of the company to make his personal report of the hang-over and the flare-back that had so upset their night's work. He made his report to Superintendent Keating direct, as was the custom after the formal report had been made to the division superintendent. Mr. Keating asked Peel about the Iron Boys, whereupon Pig-Iron, in his blunt way, told the general superintendent about Steve's plucky fight for the mastery of himself before the furnace and of his eventual winning out. He told the official some further facts that interested Mr. Keating very much. About four o'clock that afternoon as the Iron Boys were eating their breakfasts, or in this case their dinners, a messenger called at the Brodsky house with an order for Steve Rush to call at the office of the superintendent before he went to the mills to work. Rush did not know what was wanted, of course, but this time he did not believe he was being called up to be criticized. He hurried through his meal, and, making himself presentable, walked over to the offices. In due time he was admitted. Mr. Keating greeted him cordially. He was courteous to all of his men until they showed themselves unworthy of that courtesy. In such cases the superintendent was curt and brief in what he had to say and he did not smile into their faces as he talked to them. A pleasant smile wreathed his countenance this afternoon. "Your head melter has been in to-day, Rush," he said. "Yes, sir?" "He had some very pleasant things to say about you and Jarvis, in his rough way. I assure you I was very glad to hear that you are doing so well. I was sure you would. You have the pluck and you will make your way to better things, in the steel business. Neither of you was hurt last night, were you?" "Not at all, sir." "Mr. Peel tells me, among other things, that you have an idea for an improvement of some sort about the furnaces," said Mr. Keating, with a rare twinkle in his eyes. Steve flushed. "I thought I had. He rather made fun of me for even thinking I had an idea." "And you therefore dropped it, eh?" "No, sir. It is stronger than ever." "That's the way to talk. Do not allow yourself to be swerved from a worthy purpose." "I never do. It results in my being called hard-headed sometimes." "We like to encourage our young men to make suggestions. Unfortunately we do not get many of value from the rank and file. Those men either have not had experience enough to suggest valuable improvements, or else they are of too low an order of intelligence to do so. What was your idea?" "It was in connection with the waste gas from the stoves." "Indeed." Mr. Keating was interested at once. "Yes, sir; there is a great deal of waste gas, is there not?" "Much more than I wish there was." "You buy your gas from the city plant, do you not, if it is not an impertinent question?" "We do." "And it must cost you a great deal of money."