“Perfectly right, sir. I had no desire to impugn your authority, and I apologise for my abrupt action, which certainly bore that complexion.”
“There, Johnson,” said Blair, almost pleadingly, “you must see that puts a different face on the matter entirely.”
It certainly put a different face on Johnson, who stood there with dropped jaw, gazing pitifully at his backboneless chief.
“I am very sorry there has been any misunderstanding,” said Blair soothingly. “Such, of course, occurs in all offices, but luckily discipline is so perfect here that a few words will adjust things in their right proportion to each other. You have done very well, Mr. Johnson, during your short occupancy of this room, and when you resume your old place you may be certain that both Mr. Steele and myself will remember you when a chance for promotion occurs.”
“I regret to say,” remarked Steele casually, before Johnson had an opportunity of speaking, “that Mr. Johnson’s last act during his temporary occupancy of this chair was to promote Carruthers into his vacant place, and this promotion I myself confirmed. I recommend Mr. Johnson to take a vacation for a month, and if during that period he secures another situation, I shall be happy to recommend him, and probably you, Mr. Blair, would not object to do the same.”
“Certainly not, certainly not,” muttered Blair hastily. “If, at the end of a month,” continued John Steele, “you have not suited yourself, Mr. Johnson, you may return to me, and I’ll see what I can do for you. I am going to rearrange my staff, and give most of its members a step upward. Some of them, however, will take a step downward, and some will be promoted over the heads of their seniors. All this will require a little thought and manipulation, but, as Mr. Blair truly says, discipline is everything, and I am determined to carry out his wishes in that respect.”
“Well, Mr. Steele,” said the general manager, rising with a deep sigh of satisfaction, as if everything had gone exactly as he planned it, “anything I can do to help on the good work will not be stinted. Call upon me when in any difficulty, Mr. Steele, and be assured of my most whole-hearted support,” and with that the great man held out his hand, which Steele, springing to his feet, clasped cordially. Without a glance at the crest-fallen Johnson, T. Acton Blair strode majestically from the room.
John Steele turned to his desk.
“May I have a word with you, Mr. Steele?” asked Johnson.
“Yes, this day month,” said John Steele without looking up.