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Simultaneously there flashed through the minds of both in rapid succession a

series of recollections of their previous meetings. The girl saw the clerk at the

stocking-counter, the waiter at Feinheimer's, the prize-fighter at the training

quarters and the milk-wagon driver. 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.

140

The Efficiency Expert