He hesitated. Personally he would have been glad to go farther and recommend Smith for the position, but in his own mind he was not convinced of the wisdom of this.
"Isn't he pretty young?" inquired Mr. Whitehill, of Whitehill and Rhodes, the large real estate operators, who sat at Mr. Wintermuth's right.
"Yes, he is. I'm afraid he's almost too young," was the frank reply.
"How old is he, anyway?" another director asked.
"Thirty-two or thereabouts, I believe. But he's had good training."
"He won't do," said Mr. Whitehill, tersely. "The man for that job ought to be more seasoned—at least forty. Don't you agree with me?"
"I'm afraid I do," the President conceded, rather reluctantly. "At least I am afraid that Smith, good underwriter as he is, needs—as you say—a little more seasoning before being given so responsible a position."
"What's the alternative?" inquired Mr. Griswold, from the other end of the table.
"The alternative," answered Mr. Wintermuth, "is one which I like little better. It is to go outside and hire an underwriter from somewhere else."
"Do you know a good man—one we could get?"