Show HOW WALTER MANAGED m by HARVEY RYAN mcclure Mc CIure syndicate service ALTER STRONG had more W WALTER than made good in the western office of jones and smith as personnel manager when a few years before walter had finished college he had a more or less definite idea that he would be an electrical engineer he knew little about psychology he took such things as they came but in the big construction firm where he got his first job he developed a wonderful knack at managing people mr jones the president tried him out and finally made him perso personnel anel manager and after a couple of years transferred him to the eastern office im giving you free rein strong said mr jones weve got to put in some big economies there excepting the big executives you can bounce or boost whoever you like if you want to double a good go od mans salary and give him more responsibility go ahead and it if you want to fire anybody all ah right too so walter took charge of personnel in the eastern office and sett settled led down to make good making good became doubly important after he had met nancy smith daughter of the junior partner of the firm and manager of the eastern branch nancy was the girl walter had dreamed of all his life it just her soft brown eyes or her rose tinted creamy cheeks it her infectious laugh or her anth enthusiastic usi interest in anything you told her it any one of the thousand and one charms that went to make up nancy nor all of them put together it was just nancy herself mr smith took walter home to dinner that was when he first met nancy he met her often after that and he soon realized that she was essential to his happiness to his life itself he thought one thing about nancy worried him she seemed unaffectedly glad to see him he was even sure she liked him but on the ring finger of her right hand she wore a large and beautiful diamond one evening he brought himself to the point of expressing his admiration for it oh that said nancy nonchalantly it an engagement ring is it asked walter a little huskily engagement echoed nancy oh yes its an engagement ring I 1 announced it yet but 1 I probably shall next week then ill put the ring over to the other hand im just getting used to it she smiled at him sweetly stunned a bit walter nevertheless did not give up hope until that xing ling went over to the other hand hed do his best to make nancy like him bim and what more telling way to effect that end than to make a better thing of his job than ever before hed been a little too soft atthe at the office hed stop that he let personal feelings interfere with his work at all that nice young tom crawford in the outer I 1 office extremely inefficient walter had been watching him closely and he seem to be doing anything at all he hated though to discourage him might be supporting a widowed mother and orphaned sister all that kind of thing still the sooner he realized he was a flop in this job the better it would be for him so a walter fired tom tom was apparently much distressed and totally surprised im sorry said walter but final youre productive nonproductive non here and the sooner you find out that youre no good at this kind of work the better later in the day walter asked tom to dinner that night walter had been brutal of course you fire anybody without being brutal maybe they could talk things over at dinner and leave things in a pleasanter plea santer state walter liked tom the more he saw of him at dinner he explained that hed help him if he could and was awfully sorry youve probably got worries and troubles like the rest of us and if youre in any sort of personal jam well id be glad to help you till you get placed again good of you said tom but my troubles arent exactly financial though that comes into it you see im engaged to the wrong girl she know it maybe she cares for me but you see when she knows ive lost my job its a complication all ive thought lately I 1 might ask her to let me are off im in love with another girl but now shed think I 1 was doing it for her sake and ashes a fine girl shed stick to a fellow if he was in trouble the next afternoon walter was in his office when smith who been in that day telephoned him to come to his home walter got there a little ahead of time and was greeted by a much agitated nancy well now do you know what wha i youve done she demanded done why my I 1 done anything answered walter youve done something awful protested nancy dad know just what to do about it either and im sure I 1 dont youve fired tom crawford and he the nephew and heir of mr jones and you ought to know how awful that is with mr jones pre president si and everything nobody at the office but father knew it and father agrees with you that toms a dumbbell but its awful just the same walter looked serious yes he said it is but 1 I think its the right thing to do just the same hes not the man for the job theres a lot of good in him and im going to help him get placed somewhere else I 1 think its what jones would have wanted me to do but you dont know everything persisted nancy you see hes the man im engaged to and of course now when hes out of luck well you see just lately and nancy blushed ive been thinking id explain I 1 mean id break the engagement but now I 1 cant I 1 cant desert him when hes down but are you in love with him walter almost shouted you ask me that nancy whispered nancy said walter taking her hand dont worry if youre not sure youre in love with tom and if you think if you think maybe you care for somebody else dont worry nancy then walter explained and when nancys father found them fifteen minutes later and heard their story he put the finishing touch to their happiness hed just got a telegram within ten minutes from jones tom had telephoned him not to interfere when he heard of his discharge and jones had telegraphed smith glad tom is out of misfit job tell him I 1 will stake him for stock farm he wants to buy and know he will succeed with it |