CHAPTER XXII

DIRECTORS GET A SHOCK

On the following morning the plans of the furnaces were taken to the office of the general superintendent, where he and the chief engineer went into earnest consultation. The result of the conversation was that draughtsmen were called in, and the plan made as clear to them as possible, so that they might prepare rough drawings of the proposed change.

These rough drawings were submitted late that afternoon, and Rush was sent for to report at the superintendent's office. Together the three went over the plans in detail.

"Have you anything to suggest?" asked the engineer, after explaining the drawings.

Steve had some slight changes to suggest, but in the main his ideas had been fairly well followed out by the draughtsmen. He did suggest, however, that the action should be not hasty; that perhaps defects would develop if they should take more time for consideration.

Both officials agreed that this was wise, and besides it was thought best to lay the whole matter before the directors for their approval or disapproval.

A week passed, during which time many changes were made and new drawings and blueprints prepared. Steve had gone back to his work at the furnace, where he and Bob worked faithfully, becoming more and more familiar with the particular branch of the steel industry with which they were connected. The meeting of the directors was to take place at the end of that week, and Mr. Keating requested Steve to be present. This Steve did not wish to do. It seemed to him like crowding himself on the attention of the president of the steel company, as well as the other officials who would be present.

The superintendent, seeing how reluctant the boy was to attend the meeting, withdrew his request, as there was no real necessity for Steve's being there. Mr. Keating had hoped to do just what Rush did not wish him to--call the attention of the officials sharply to the Iron Boy.

"You are too modest, young man," said Mr. Keating with a laugh. "But I shall see that you lose nothing by being so. I am going to tell the directors plainly that you are wholly responsible for the plan, of which none of us ever had thought, and I am going to suggest that you be appointed to a place worth while."

"Not until I have earned it," answered Steve with emphasis.

"It strikes me that you have already earned promotion, young man."

"I do not mean it in that way, I mean that I do not wish promotion until I have passed through all the successive stages and learned the steel business from the bottom to the top. I expect I shall be about ready to die by that time," added the boy, with a faint smile. "There is a great deal more to learn that I had the least idea of."

"You are making rapid progress, I must say."

"If you wish to transfer me to some other department on the first of the month I shall appreciate the favor. I am, to a certain extent, familiar with the furnaces and I want to keep moving, sir."

"It shall be done. I had intended to do so without your request. I am glad, however, to have you make even a small request of me."

The meeting of the directors was a lengthy one. Their interest was aroused at once when the chief engineer rose and told them of the plans for utilizing the waste gas from the furnace stoves. He was assailed by questions from all sides. The directors were progressive men, and they quickly realized the value of the suggestion if it could be applied.

The question of the cost was taken up and this Mr. Phillips had figured down to the minutest detail. He was enabled to tell them that, barring accidents, the cost of the construction and material would reach a certain figure.

After listening, the directors adopted the suggestions entire. One of them rose and proposed a vote of thanks to the chief engineer and to the superintendent.

Mr. Keating was on his feet at once.

"Gentlemen, while we appreciate your kindness it would be unfair for Mr. Phillips and myself to assume the credit for the plans you have passed upon this afternoon. Mr. Phillips will verify what I say when I tell you that the suggestion did not come from us. Frankly, we had never thought of it; perhaps never should have thought of it. The credit belongs to some one else."

"Who is he?" asked one of the directors.

"A young apprentice in the mills. His name is Rush, Stephen Rush. The whole idea is his own almost exactly as has been adopted by yourselves. He is a furnace man at number four, he and his friend, a boy named Jarvis, also a remarkable young man."

"Then we must do something for this young fellow. His suggestion is a good one. Do you think he realizes how valuable it is?"

"Oh, yes," answered Mr. Keating with a smile. "He was well aware of that before he made the suggestion. It was its value to the mills that led him to offer it."

"How much does he want?" questioned the director.

"Nothing, so far as I know. He is not that kind."

"Then I will propose," said the director rather pompously, "that we make the young gentleman a present of fifty dollars in gold. That ought to be a whole lot of money for him."

"Oughtn't we to make it more than that?" asked another of the board. "It seems like a rather small sum for the service rendered, seeing that we shall save thousands of dollars a year by the process."

"No; it is a great plenty. That's the way to spoil these young fellows. They get an exaggerated idea of their importance."

"I beg your pardon; these boys do not," interrupted the general superintendent, though it was not his place to interfere. "It will take more than fifty dollars in gold to spoil either of them."

"It's enough. It is a very fine present, and the boy will be delighted with it, you see if he isn't."

The directors voted to make Steve Rush a present as proposed by the member of the board who had fixed the amount. Mr. Keating glanced significantly at the chief engineer, and the chief engineer glanced significantly at the superintendent.

It was decided that the work should be begun at once. All the material for the purpose was in stock in the mills, save the cement for the concrete abutment out in the middle of the river. It was necessary to construct this to hold up the heavy pipe that was to convey the gas across the river to operate the gas engines.

Practically all of the further details were left to Mr. Keating and Mr. Phillips, for the two men possessed the entire confidence of the board, as was naturally the case. They would not have been in their responsible positions had they not been tried and true men.

The superintendent was ordered to hand Steve Rush the money as voted by the board, and for the purpose of carrying out his orders Mr. Keating summoned Steve to the office after the board meeting.

The lad reported. He was called in to the private office before all the directors had left. The president of the corporation was there, the secretary and two directors. They looked at the manly young fellow with more than ordinary interest. Mr. Keating introduced Steve to them.

"What, that young gentleman a furnace hand? Impossible!" exclaimed the president. "Why, he appears like a man of culture and education. I wonder how he will take the fifty dollar proposition?"

He was soon to learn. Mr. Keating rose and proceeded to express the thanks of the board of directors for Steve Rush's great service to the company, to all of which the boy listened attentively, but without emotion, looking the superintendent steadily in the eyes.

"I am instructed by the board, Rush, to ask you to accept a slight token of their appreciation. Here are fifty dollars in gold that the board has voted to you. I hope you will take it in the same spirit in which it is offered."

Steve never knew whether the superintendent meant to be sarcastic or not, but the boy was inclined to think not under the circumstances. Rush drew himself up, his shoulders squared back a little further than was their wont, while a faint color suffused his cheeks.

"I thank you, gentlemen, but I cannot accept it."

"Not accept it?" demanded the secretary. "Perhaps it is not enough to suit you, sir?"

There was sarcasm in the tone of the secretary, certainly. His associates gave him a glance of disapproval. Steve turned toward him with the same steady gaze that he had fixed on the superintendent during the latter's remarks.

"Sir, were I the kind of man who was looking for that sort of reward, fifty dollars certainly would be considered inadequate when one considers that the new plan will save your company thousands of dollars."

The directors started back in surprise. Such words as these, from an employé, were unusual to say the least.

"Then--then you want more money, eh?" almost shouted the secretary. "So that's where the shoe pinches, is it?"

"No, sir; the shoe doesn't pinch at all. I am paid by this company for my services, paid the same as my fellow-workers are paid. If, in the course of my employment, I am able to make any improvements or to suggest improvements that will better the service, I consider that such suggestions or improvements are wholly the property of my employer. I am neither entitled to nor wish additional pay for them. Believe me, gentlemen, I should not be backward about asking for what I thought rightfully belonged to me. I hope none of you will misunderstand me. May I retire, sir?" he added, turning questioningly to Mr. Keating.

The superintendent nodded. Steve's bold stand had frustrated Mr. Keating as well as the others. For a few seconds after Rush's departure no one spoke; then, all at once the president burst out laughing.

"That's the time you met your match, I am thinking, Conkling."

"An impudent young rascal!" exploded the secretary. "To think he would dare stand there and insult us in that fashion. It was the most outrageous thing I ever heard of."

"Wait; hold on, Conkling," protested the president.

"I demand his discharge. We don't want a man like that in our employ."

"Now don't get excited. Are we going to let a monkey-man from furnace four involve this board in a fight?" The president's eyes twinkled merrily. He was enjoying the situation.

"I--I don't care; he must be discharged."

"On the contrary, Conkling, he will stay. That young man is just the kind of man we want here."

The superintendent spoke with considerable emphasis.

"What he says is true, Conkling, so far as the fifty dollars is concerned," continued the president. "Had I known what sort of boy we had to deal with I certainly should have insisted on your voting him more money or else none at all."

"He would not have accepted it under the circumstances," interrupted Mr. Keating.

"No; that is quite evident, and I respect him for his position. You must admit, gentlemen, that Rush's viewpoint is somewhat unusual these days. How much is he earning, Keating?"

"His wages are a dollar a day."

"Then promote him at once."

"I have offered to, but he doesn't want it. He is working his way up, and desires to follow the same course that any one does in going through the mills. Mr. Carrhart is responsible for his being here. He takes a very keen interest in both boys."

"Oh, he does, eh?"

"Yes, sir. The young men are not in want. Each of them own several thousand dollars worth of stock in this company."

"What?" almost shrieked the secretary who had not yet recovered his equilibrium.

The president laughed uproariously.

"This is too good. Here we've been voting a paltry fifty dollars to a man who is practically entitled to call us to account for so doing. We are his employés as much as he is ours. This is too good! I shall have to tell that story at the club," and the president indulged in another burst of laughter.

No one enjoyed the discomfiture of the secretary more than Mr. Keating and Mr. Phillips. The faces of both men bore smiles that they were unable to hide. The directors left soon after that. In going out, the president approached the superintendent.

"Keating, I hope you will look out for that young man."

"You may depend upon my doing so. I already have taken a great interest in both of them."

"I suppose I ought to order you to dismiss him, for if we men don't look out he'll be grabbing our own jobs some of these days."

The president went away, chuckling at his own witticism. After they had gone the two dignified men, namely, Superintendent Keating and Chief Engineer Phillips leaned back in their chairs and indulged in a good laugh at the directors' expense.