ith Rose Martel, the
factory had been in the throes of one of its most violent upheavals. Some
weeks before the old steam engine had been replaced by an expensive
electric drive. There had been much interest manifested in the
installation of the modern motor, and Quin, with his natural love of
machinery, had rejoiced that his duties as shipping clerk required him to
be present at the unpacking. He and Dirk, the foreman, never tired of
discussing the perfection of each particular feature. But a few days
after the departure of the installation foreman, the new motor burnt out,
necessitating the shutting down of the factory and causing much
inconvenience.

Dirk was beside himself with rage. He declared that something heavy had
been dropped upon the armature winding, and he blamed every one who could
have been responsible, and some who could not. In the midst of his tirade
he was summoned to the office, where he was closeted for more than an
hour with Mr. Bangs and Mr. Shields. When he emerged, it was with the
avowed belief that the armature had been defective when received. This
sudden change of front, taken in connection with the fact that the third
payment was due on the motor in less than sixty days, set every tongue
wagging.

Quin was in no way involved in the transaction; but, as usual, he had an
emphatic opinion, which he did not hesitate to express.

"I don't know what's got into Dirk!" he said indignantly to Mr. Shields,
the traffic manager, as they left the office together. "He knows the
injury to the armature was done in our shop and that we are responsible
for it."

"I guess Dirk's like the rest of us," said Shields bitterly; "he knows a
lot he can't tell."

"What do you mean? Do you think it was a frame-up?"

"Well, we don't call it that. But when the boss gets in a hole,
somebody's got to pull him out. I'm getting mighty sick of it myself.
Wish to the Lord I could pull up stakes as Mr. Bartlett and Mr. Chester
did."

It was not until they separated that Quin's thoughts left the disturbing
events of the day and flew to something more pleasing. For two weeks now
he had had to content himself with chance interviews with Eleanor, meager
diet for a person with an omnivorous appetite; but to-night there was the
prospect for a long, uninterrupted evening. Since the day of Miss Enid's
wedding he had found her perplexed and absent-minded; but the fact that
she always had a smile for him, and that nothing was s