"Perhaps I should not have been quite so outspoken," admitted the lad. "That is a fault of mine." "That is not always a fault. Most honest men are outspoken, my lad. But to return to the subject of our discussion. I was in hopes you would like the place we have given you. It is an important position and difficult to fill. On the other hand, you have shown remarkable aptitude for the work. You have done better in it than any other man we ever had." "Thank you, sir." "All the more reason why I wish you would stay. You are not thinking of leaving the employ of the company, are you?" "No, sir." "Then what is the matter?" "Nothing is the matter, sir, except that I don't particularly enjoy being the trouble man. It is really my business to get others into trouble, and----" "Not at all." "It so turns out, just the same." "I am sorry you look at it in that way." "What is more, Mr. Keating, I wish to learn the real business of iron and steel making." "It strikes me that you have a pretty good start already," said the general superintendent, a grim smile appearing on his face. "I shall never learn it where I am. Of course I have learned a great deal about first aid to the injured and the like, also location of the different departments in the mill. However, sir, I want to learn the business, and I want to learn by actual experience everything about the mills." "A very praiseworthy ambition. But we like you very well where you are. As I have already said, we have never had men in the accident department who were as thorough and trustworthy as you and Jarvis. It is also easy work, compared with other occupations in the mill." "That is just it, it's too easy. Give me something hard, something that will keep my muscles up. We have been leading an active life for the past two or three years, Mr. Keating. We'll go stale if we don't get to work soon." "Will Jarvis wish to change also?" "I have not talked the matter over with him. He usually wants to go with me wherever I go." "Have you any choice as to department or work?" "No, sir, save that I should like to work through all of them." "But, lad, there are many trades represented in the mills. You cannot hope to learn all of them," objected the general superintendent. "I do not want to learn them all, Mr. Keating. There is only one trade that I want to learn, and I _do_ want to know all about that, even though it takes me years to learn it." "What trade is that?" smiled the superintendent indulgently. "The steel trade. I want to learn the steel business. I have a fairly good working knowledge of the ore business right down to the gates of the mills, but when I get inside the fence surrounding the mills I am in an unknown world, as it were." "So it is to a majority of the men working there. But I begin to understand. You have ambitions," laughed Mr. Keating. "Yes, sir, I have." "What have you ambitions to become, if I may ask?"