morning paper from an inner pocket and consulted the sporting column. 

 Fairbrothers' was an easy-going firm, that had the reputation of being good to its employees. If a man once got a seat on an office-stool there he was considered to have a berth for life, supposing of course that the iron trade and Upper Thames Street continued to exist. Fairbrothers' never dismissed a man unless he was a downright rogue, and in such a case it was believed that they secretly looked after him if he happened to be in a very bad way. 

 Nobody in the office minded much what was said unless Old Joe Fairbrother, the venerable head of the concern, happened to say it. If there was a threat of dismissal from anybody else the threatened man affected contrition and laughed up his sleeve. And although this general air of safety was as soothing to Thomas Parrott, the head clerk, as to anybody else, that admirable man's sense of duty compelled him to occasionally sound a warning note to his subordinates. 

 This morning the head clerk was in a bad temper, and found fault with everybody, especially with George Early. 

 "Who's been upsetting Polly?" asked George, looking round; "seems to have got 'em, doesn't he?" 

 "Wants a cracker," said the shorthand clerk; "got a bad attack of the pip." 

 "If he'd like his poll scratched," said George, impudently, "he's only got to say so." 

 A red-haired junior chimed in. 

 "It ain't that," he said; "Polly's looking for a new perch. Thinks Old Joe'll be wanting a manager soon." 

 Any reference to the head of the firm interested George. 

 "What's the matter with Old Joe?" he asked. 

 "Matter? What ain't the matter? you mean. Got one foot in the grave and the other on the edge. The poor old chap's fairly breaking up." 

 George turned thoughtfully to his work, but his mind ran on other things; the decay of the head of the firm opened up possibilities of promotion. A manager would be wanted soon. 

 To jump from the position of clerk to manager was unusual, but unusual things of that sort had a fascination for George Early. The work would just suit him; he always felt he was born to 

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