All these things passed through her mind in the brief instant of the

introduction and her acknowledgment of it. She was too well-bred to

permit any outward indication of her recognition of the man other than

the first almost inaudible ejaculation that had been surprised from her.

The indifference she had felt prior to meeting the efficiency expert

was altered now to a feeling of keen interest as she realized that she

held the power to relieve Bince of the further embarrassment of the

man's activities in the plant, and also to save her father from the

annoyance and losses that Bince had assured her would result from

Torrance's methods. And so she greeted Jimmy Torrance pleasantly,

almost cordially.

"I am delighted," she said, "but I am afraid that I am a little awed,

too, as I was just saying to father before you came that I felt an

efficiency expert must be a very superior sort of person."

If she placed special emphasis on the word "superior" it was so cleverly

done that it escaped the notice of her father.

"Oh, not at all," replied Jimmy. "We efficiency experts are really quite

ordinary people. One is apt to meet us in any place that nice people are

supposed to go."

Elizabeth felt the color rising slowly to her cheek. She realized then

that if she had thrown down the gage of battle the young man had lost no

time in taking it up.

"I am afraid," she said, "that I do not understand very much about the

nature or the purpose of your work, but I presume the idea is to make

the concern with which you are connected more prosperous--more

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