The Cycle of Shirt Sleeves

The Cycle of Shirt Sleeves By Ezra J. Poulsen Mr. William Gilbert Smith spoke com- placently to young Gilbert Ray, "Son, I'm going to shuffle the business over to you, and stretch my old legs for a long rest. You have youth, training, and the reliable Smith pugnacity. I — well, I have enough cash to keep me, and a carcass full of tired bones; to say nothing of rheuma- tism, hardened arteries, and a loss of in- terest, besides a number of other good reasons for retiring." "Wow, Dad, that's startling!" replied the handsome junior, as he stepped on the gas and sent his chrome-yellow speedster down the boulevard at sixty miles an hour, in the direction of drug store num- ber fifteen of the famous Smith chain. Mr. William Gilbert Smith held his hat and his breath, as a silent tribute to his son's demoniac driving. He gloried in Gillie's nerve, but prayed for a milder speed. "Slow down, son; slow down," he finally ordered. "You'll have us killed; besides, it's foolish; not at all dignified for a man of affairs." Gilbert eased up. "That's the speed the younger Mr. Smith expects to put into the business," he laughed. "Well, you'll have to use judgment as well as speed," the father protested, a trifle worried. Chaste April blew her fragrant breath into their faces, as they hummed along between rows of spacious bungalows, sur- rounded by stenciled landscape artistry. Mr. Smith, senior, grew contemplative on the subject of his son's future; and incident- ally the sweep of his reflections reached well back into his own past; for he loudly imagined the two careers, his and the boy's, were woven threads in the same fabric of circumstance. As a young man he had started in his shirt sleeves, lifting the re- sponsibility of the village drug store from the shoulders of his sturdy old father; and by dauntless energy and patience, had de- veloped the finest chain of retail drug em- poriums in the West. Now he hoped to pass his achievement on to his son for the next lap in the great relay. Still he had misgivings. He slid down on the cushioned seat, drawing his light top coat over his broad chest, while he studied the clean face and broad, sinewy shoulders of the young man beside him, and won- dered if modern youth could stand the strain as he had done. "Dad," spoke up Gilbert Ray seriously. "I'm going, to buckle down now, and work like a Trojan. Honest injun, Dad. no fooling." This declaration of purpose was as mu- sic to the ears of the business man. He had waited through four uncertain years for his son to wear off a rather prolonged boyhood, and the sporting proclivities manifested during a college course. He unbuttoned his top coat, with a sudden conviction that the air was warmer, much warmer. "Bravo, boy!" he cried joyously. "You couldn't have said anything more sensible. I'll get more satisfaction seeing you at the helm than I ever found in being there myself. Watching my son succeed will be my favorite sport." "I'll do my best. Dad; and I have a number of ideas tucked up my sleeve that will do the old business good." Smith, senior, leaned back on the up- holstery, with an air of perfect content- ment, and began to unfold his dreams for his son's future. "What do you say, Gillie, to taking over active management at once?" he proposed tersely. "Couldn't suit me better," declared Gil- bert Ray, as he swung the car into the alley at the rear of store number fifteen, where the offices were located from which executive orders were sent out to a string of similar establishments scattered across a half dozen states. Mr. Smith was elated over his son's

48 IMPROVEMENT ERA ready acceptance of the new responsibility; and being a consistent believer in the scriptural injunction which cautions against putting new wine in old bottles, he decided at once against imposing his methods on his successor. "I'll follow strictly the policy of watchful waiting," he mused, as he sat alone in the office the day after affairs had been formally turned over to Gilbert Ray. "The boy'U get a few bumps, but in the end he'll succeed better than if he keeps sucking at the silver spoon." The retiring executive drummed hi9 thick fingers on the desk, and a vague emptiness depressed him, a subtle, shadowy suggestion of age crept across his oval face, making the wrinkles about his calm, wide mouth a trifle deeper, and his iron- gray hair perceptibly grayer. In the re- stricted light of the small office, cluttered by an assortment of nondescript filing cases and a big roll-top desk, Mr. Smith appeared unusually large. Silently he rummaged through the whole gamut of his experiences in search of material with which to build up a bulwark of logic that would support the wisdom of his pro- vision for his son's future. He arose and paced the floor reminis- cently. The boy would have all the ad- vantages he had had, and none of the disadvantages. There would be no nerve tension because of insufficient capital, no unpleasant experiences due to lack of edu- cation. Gillie's career would be that of a strong man in a strong place. He had already explained this to the boy. Still, there was one detail that needed attention, a mere detail; and he was determined that even this should not be neglected, so he pressed the call button and waited. The secretary, Miss Dorothy Walters, a willowy brunette slip of a girl, blending a dainty coquettishness of form and man- ner with an attractive air of business acu- men, entered the room, pad and pencil in hand prepared to take dictation, but Mr. Smith, for once, had no such object in view. "Sit down, Dorothy," he ordered abruptly. Then suddenly he seemed grop- ing for words, as if forgetful of hi9 pur- pose. Finally, however, he turned his ef- fective gray eyes point blank on her until she fidgeted in discomfort, then spoke in a manner suggestive of the self-possessed chief that he was: "It's about the boy. Gillie, I wanted to speak," he said slowly. Had he not dropped his gaze to the melancholy rug at that moment, he would have noticed a look of startled surprise dart across her face. "Oh?" she exclaimed with a melodious rising inflection. "Yes, you know he's a fine fellow," continued the man obtusely. "And I'm turning the management over to him be- cause I think he'll make a success of it." Mr. Smith's voice was mellow with pater- nal pride. "He's got only one weak point — all strong men have weak points you know. He's so full of enthusiasm and fight that he might — only a possibility to be sure — be a trifle too hasty some- times. We have a number of managers in our stores who are likely to resent an abrupt attitude. So what I wanted to say, Dorothy, is this: In your secretarial ca- pacity, and with your proved ability to write business correspondence that fits, you might find it necessary to pour oil on the waters occasionally if they get troubled. See what I mean? eh? See that nothing unusually rough gets by." The senior Mr. Smith leaned back in his chair and twitted his thumbs in- dustriously, while he waited confidently for her reply, which he took for granted would be in the nature of her character- istically eager willingness to carry out his orders. However, he was disappointed. "I — I — thank you Mr. Smith for your con- fidence," she faltered, turning her clear, straight-forward eyes upon him. "But aren't you asking a little too much? Your son may not even retain me as his secre- tary. I — well," her voice sank to an un- certain whisper. "I'm doubtful about my ability to do as you ask." "Oh, don't feel that way, my dear girl," he pleaded. "We know you, and believe me, we value you too highly to let you go." . The gold of a veiled sunset shone be- tween the tall buildings across the street,

THE CYCLE OF SHIRT SLEEVES 49 and framed her in the ethereal light of a solar tableau. She saw herself in a posi- tion filled with possibilities for embar- rassment; her womanly instincts told her that matters might not go smoothly with her as secretary to the impetuous young Gilbert Ray; yet her loyalty to her old employer was so fine that she could not refuse. "Well, I'll do the best I can," she promised after a pause. "Is that all, Mr. Smith?" "That's all," he chuckled rather tardily. After the girl had gone he dragged his hat from the mahogany rack by the door, and plodded stiffly from the room. Out- side, going down the stairs, his movements continued to be slow and heavy, as if it were only with difficulty he could take himself away from the scene of his life's labors. "S'all settled," he mumbled. "S'all settled." He broke into a feverish little laugh. "You're a pretty clever old fellow, W. G. Smith: you're a clever old guy, eh? You've fixed the kid up just right." It took Gilbert Ray five months by the calendar, five years by the register of his impatient nature, fairly to put into opera- tion the ideas he had tucked up his sleeve; and when this was all done the most cer- tain evidence of the change was an ultra modern suite of offices in the latest con- structed skyscraper, and the generally ac- claimed opinion that the second Mr. Smith was a more liberal contributor to Chamber- of-Commerce projects than his father had been. What was more important, however, even if less evident, was the fact that scattered across the wide stretches of Smith territory were a score of disgruntled man- agers, part owners in truth, who were secretly or openly sweating under the collars, and saying harsh things. So it happened that Dorothy had to begin early to pour oil on the troubled waters. Gil- bert Ray, though, was not perturbed. He merely stretched his long legs under his new golden-oak desk, and laughed ex- asperatingly. "Oh, they'll get in step all right, all right," he predicted. "They need a little pumice stone rubbed into their necks to make 'em understand that friction doesn't pay in big business." Still, the worried secretary was not so sure. She bit her sensitive lip in sheer vexation, and turned away in despair with the latest communication of John Ralston, manager of store number thirty-five at Rockyford, still in her hand. For an hour after that she sat before her typewriter waiting for the inspiration to write, but it never came. The man was incensed, and her employer refused to let her offer the concession demanded, and which her womanly intuition interpreted as entirely correct for the occasion. In- dignantly she finally resolved to treat the matter from a purely disinterested view- point, which was exactly what was ex- pected of her; but her loyalty to old Mr. Smith was too great. Besides, she was interested in her young employer's suc- cess, and her own professional pride was involved as well. "Oh, dear," she sighed in helpless cha- grin, while her limpid penciled lashes grew moist, and a lump of bitterness per- sistently arose in her throat. Nervously she went to the small mirror, toyed with the light silken tresses of her hair, and smoothed the tiny streaks of worry from her eyes. Thus occupied, the business woman became the subtle, fascinating fe- male, weaving designs to catch the unsus- pecting male; but after an adequate interval, when she turned again to her problem, she was a severely plain and determined stenographer. Seizing the ob- noxious letter, she went back to the door of the inner office and tapped resolutely. Gilbert Ray suavely admitted her, and impressively drew a chair close to his desk, as though her call were his keenest delight. This spontaneous consideration almost dis- armed her; but accepting his courtesy mechanically, she throttled her nerves, and went straight to the purpose. "I can't answer this in the manner you desire," she said firmly. "Why?" The young manager was not sure he understood her correctly, though the blood rushed to his face. "Why?" the second time. His voice grew a note sharper. She hastened to say, "Because John

50 IMPROVEMENT ERA Ralston is a part owner of the stores he manages. He has always been allowed to decide many important matters for him- self, and now you want me to tell him he can't buy a simple case of medicine unless you O. K. the order." Dorothy spoke with feeling; a wistful smile played upon her lips, and altogether her charm- ing personality added to the earnestness of her words. Gilbert Ray, however, was too irritated to be swayed by the girl's personal attrac- tion. At first he stared at her speechless, then threw himself violently back in his chair. "Great guns, Dorothy," he ex- ploded, "you think I'm unwise and un- just! Why, confound it, I'm running this business. These old fossils think because they own a few shares, and could soft soap Dad, they can do with me as they please. I'll show 'em. We have a ram- shackle organization that must be co- ordinated and centralized, and, by Jove, I'm going to do it." The secretary felt unable to combat such an outbreak of masculine determina- tion. "Oh," she murmured tremulously. Her voice had been pitched for an exclama- tion, but it treacherously produced an apology. Her cheeks burned with morti- fication, and she hated herself for sub- mitting. "Forgive me, Mr. Smith," she pleaded simply. "I'm not seeking to advise you." Instantly Gilbert Ray repented in sack- cloth and ashes. The sight of Dorothy's distressed face, earnest, loyal, beautiful, made him feel like a cad. Before he could frame his next sentence, however, she spoke again, this time straight from the abundance of her woman's heart. "Your theories are probably right, but you are making a mistake in your men, Mr. Smith: I fear it will cost you dearly, but sincerely hope it won't. It's not your secretary speaking now," she explained with a strange little click in her voice, "It's just Dorothy Walters. Your secre- tary has resigned." By this time he was his boyish self again, begging a thousand pardons. "Really, Dorothy, no; don't do that: we need you; we — " But she had slipped back through the glazed door into her own compartment, leaving him alone. Her flight bore evi- dence of resulting from one of those swift, instinctive decisions that have to be acted on at once or not at all. Outside he heard her gathering her simple belongings; then presently the outer door slammed, and he knew, with a compelling sense of loss, that she had gone and would not return. "Confound me for a fool!" he muttered disgustedly, "I was too rough, too rough. But then, women are so sentimental." Shortly it became clear to all that the young holder of the Smith property was going to rule with an iron hand. Gilbert Ray formally notified the managers in his father's ramshackle organization that it was time to make some important changes; and accordingly he set the date for a meet- ing. Later, when the out-of-town mem- bers of the firm began to register at the local hotels, he called on them one by one, and sought to impress them with his com- pelling personality. At least Gilbert thought he could be both impressive and compelling. The truth is the new chief executive was regarded by the former asso- ciates of his father as a reasonably good boy, but one who suffered the usual in- stability resulting from over-indulgence. After Gilbert in his capacity as president had called the meeting to order, he quickly, and let it be said effectively, reviewed his purpose in bringing them together. It had come time for an important reorganization, the plan of which, as he carefully ex- plained, consisted in substituting a cor- poration for the present loose, disjointed series of partnerships. After calling for a discussion he sat down. Then ensued dull silence. He had already won to his cause a goodly number of the younger men. enough he was sure to leaven the rest. Now he waited for them to express them- selves, but the minutes dragged, and no one arose. The situation became embar- rassing. At last a gray-haired man arose. "Men," he said bluntly, after a prolonged period of self-conscious blinking, "I guess I'm a bit old-fashioned, but I don't want to go into a corporation; I want to get out instead of getting farther in. so if it's

THE CYCLE OF SHIRT SLEEVES 51 all right with Mr. Smith, I'll offer him a cash settlement for his share of the stores I'm interested in." Gilbert Ray grew red in the face as he recognized Ralston, the troublesome John Ralston. He had hoped he would not hear from him at all. "The Smith interests are not for sale," he answered positively. Rataton was slightly shaken, but he patiently held his position. "But — but there's a clause in the articles of agree- ment between your father and me, which gives me the right to buy out his interest in case I become dissatisfied. I am now very much dissatisfied," he declared. "What about?" Gilbert Ray was in- stantly on his feet. Ralston explained how it was, and was supported by several others, who claimed similar concessions. The older Mr. Smith had evidently been liberal, on the theory that better cooperation is obtained by loyalty than by force, hence he had made it possible for disgruntled partners to withdraw. The discussion became lively at once, and Ralston's idea proved to be tremend- ously popular. Many who had never thought of pulling away from the organ- ization before now became exceedingly ambitious. However, after several speeches were made by the younger members of the firm, showing the advantages of a cor- porate organization, a vote by secret ballot was called, and Smith lost by a substantial majority. "A motion for adjournment is in order," growled Gilbert Ray in despair. The young man faced the new situa- tion courageously. He insisted that they eventually would see things his way. Be- fore three weeks had passed, however, the weakness of his position was impressed upon him. His managers, with scarcely an exception, signified their desire to with- draw, and Gilbert's lawyers assured him that he could do nothing to prevent it. His only course was to accept their pay- ments and let them go their way. The company which had been built and main- tained by the father was falling to pieces under the direction of the son. In this state of mind, the young man wrote a let- ter to his father, but the letter was never sent. His pride interfered at the last mo- ment. Then, to relieve his feelings, he banged the drawers of his desk shut, ob- tained his car and sped out on the long, smooth highways of brown October. The breeze cooled his throbbing temples, and the vibration of his powerful motor generated new vitality in him, while he absorbed the beauties of gorgeous poplar, sycamore, and catalpa trees, over which spread magnificent stretches of asure sky. At the park he whirled into the central driveway, still in doubt as to which direc- tion he should take. For the lack of more definite purpose, he halted at the zoo, and idly watched the bears. Presently he was startled by the sound of a melodious feminine voice, — a voice that spoke his name. He turned quickly to the pressing crowd back of him, and found himself gazing into the luminous face of Dorothy Walters'. "Why, hello," he greeted diffidently. Then acting entirely without respect for convention, he shook her soft hand, hold- ing it longer than was necessary in his delight. Dorothy was saucily attired in a dainty mandarin slipover blouse, and plaid skirt, together with a brown and orange wool throw and a cap to match. She was- as delightfully gay and colorful as newly blown autumn leaves. Gilbert Ray was in the right mood to be subject to strong and unexplainable impulses. "Dorothy, please come over and get into my car," he pleaded, and heedless of her half-startled protest, he led her to the waiting machine; and in a mo- ment, his heart thumping irregularly, he was speeding from the park with the astonished girl beside him. As the undulating miles crawled under his car, and the houses were replaced by soggy meadows and clumps of flaming scrub oak, Gilbert Ray found it once more within his power to think clearly. He be- gan to reflect on the exact status of his business. It was neither good nor bad. he concluded; it was simply non-existent,

52 IMPROVEMENT ERA sold out in fact. He had suddenly been transformed from a hustling young busi- ness man to a gentleman of leisure with a rather large bank account. What would the governor say? One thing was cer- tain; he would have to find some way of redeeming himself in the eyes of his father. Meanwhile he faced the problem of being agreeable to his companion. It was unusually hard. His first impulse was to start where he had shopped the day she had quit his employ, but he wisely de- sisted. "Do you often go to the park?" he quizzed. "Not often. Do you often watch the bears?" she countered. Then there was a long pause during which Gilbert wondered whether she was glad or sorry that he was no longer her employer. For some reason, not easily ex- plained, he was glad he was not. "Those hills are beautiful in the after- noon sunlight," she murmured ap- preciatively. "Beautiful!" he echoed, paying more attention to the contour of her face. There was another long and painful silence during which they reached the last enticing curve of the smooth drive, and were veering down to the river road that leads to Blue Lake and circles back to the city by way of Cassidy hot springs. "I know you've something to ask me," Gilbert Ray demanded grimly! "Why don't you do it?" "But I'm not going to ask you any- thing," she laughed uneasily. "Oh, please do," he coaxed. She let her eyes travel appreciatively along the miles of crimson-tinted moun- tains across the valley, then turned her face daringly to him. "Well, if you insist." she said whimsically. "How are you getting along with the business, Mr. Smith?" "Even worse than you suspect," he retorted. They both laughed, but Dorothy im- mediately checked herself, and looked seriously ahead, though she said nothing until they had glided over a mile of pave- ment. "That's too bad," she reflected sorrowfully. "I- — I wanted to see you make a great success of it." "Did you?" he asked with feeling, "Why?" "Why? Because your father wanted so much to see it," she replied demurely. "No other reason?" eagerly. "Well — yes;" she kept her face care- fully turned away from him. "I — I like to see people succeed." He was strangely fascinated in his dis- appointment? "It was my own fault." he declared repentantly. "If I had listened to you, everything would have been all right." Then he explained the whole situation. They had reached Blue Lake by the time he had finished, and thought- fully they watched a fleet of belated pleas- ure boats floating like painted shells on the ruffled water. A delightful haven of beauty is Blue Lake; hence they were absorbed by sight and sound of wind on water, sunshine and shadow, and hills dressed in leathern garbs. all of which were perfectly enchanting. Gilbert Ray, thus enticed, forgot his busi- ness failure, and Dorothy, true to her im- pressionable nature, gazed intently toward the farthest horizon, but her vision ex- tended farther than mere visible distance, farther than the obscurest detail of earth or sky. It surpassed realms physical; it was spiritual. "Mr. Smith," she turned to him with a sudden intensity, born of deep feeling. "I'm sorry your partners were so eager to desert you." "Thanks," he replied dryly, as he started the car on the swing back to town. "Still, if it were not for the fact that it will break Dad's heart, I'd say good riddance." "Oh, how can you?" she protested. 'I have more love for the standing of the firm than that." He glanced into her eyes, then at the water, and thought there was something of heaven in both. The steering wheel required Gilbert Ray's close attention during the next mile, and he struggled with an emotional com- plex, the like of which he had never be-

THE CYCLE OF SHIRT SLEEVES 53 fore experienced; then on the brink of a great realization, he turned his serious face to her. "Dorothy — Dorothy," he whis- pered, "that was not the kind of partner- ship for me. It was too big, too loose. I only want one partner — I want you," "Oh, Mr. Smith," she gasped, her cheeks glowing like the evening sky, "why, I couldn't be your partner. You wouldn't take a suggestion from poor little me." Her voice, seemingly severe at first, shaded off into something approach- ing acquiescence. "I wouldn't, but I will," he declared, then drew her close to him with a courage that was quite like himself. "I'm open to suggestions now, dear," he added very much in earnest. "I have one to offer," she returned sweetly, after a moment of silence. "Turn every dollar of your father's capital back to him; then we'll raise enough to start a store of our own, just a tiny one on a corner, where we can sell ice cream, soda, and red hots as a side line." Gilbert Ray in his exuberance of new- ly found enthusiasm, fed his machine all the gas it would take, the girl had to re- primand him for bending the speed laws. "Dorothy." he murmured, when he again became normal, "you are a wonder; I ac- cept your suggestion with all my heart. Will you let me add to it?" "Of course; add away." "We'll save our profits and when we get enough money, we'll buy another store, then another, and finally a whole string of them, as Dad did, save that we'll have no John Ralstons." "Gillie, ours will be the only kind of a partnership that's successful," she replied happily. That night Gilbert Ray sent the fol- lowing telegram to his father: "Dear Dad: "Business has gone to the dogs; money's in bank to your credit; am buying some work shirts; expect to start in shirt sleeves as you did; have eloped with your secre- tary." As quickly as it could be sent back over the wires, he received this reply: "Dear Son: "Ralston has informed me of affairs at home; you are a confounded idiot; get some durable shirts with large necks; elop- ing with my secretary is the only sensibk thing you've done so far. "Lovingly, "Dad." Your Eyes I love your eyes, that softly look in mine, They hold for me sweet messages divine; They lift me up, from dark, despairing hours. Reminding me of sunshine, stars and flowers. And should those eyes, so sparkling now with life, Close, to shut in the angel we call "Death," May that sweet hope, and faith, and loving trust Still guide me on, that I again may see Your shining eyes, in God's eternity. Midvale, Utah Laura Bateman