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74 the other boy. "I've worked at it nearly a year and I know."

As Mike Nolan was very awkward and very lazy, Franklin did not doubt but that he had reached his limit. He was not one to take a single step in advance during his whole life.

"You ought to do less, for a starter," went on Bob Jackson. "I only earned two and a half the first week I was here."

"I want to earn all I can," was the young electrician's reply.

"No, you don't!"

"Not much!" added Mike Nolan. "You slow up after dinner. If you do as much as us, old Buckman will think we've been loafing before."

"I shall certainly not slow up," said Franklin, with spirit. "I need the money, and I am going to earn it."

"All right, then, we'll see about it," returned Bob Jackson, his face growing dark and ugly. "You keep on this afternoon and see what you'll get when we quit to-night."

"You had better mind what Bob says," added Mike Nolan, significantly. "We ain't going to let no new fellow come in and hurt our job for us. If you want to keep in with us, you have got to do as we want you to; see?

And with determined looks on their anything but handsome faces, the two boys strode off, leaving Franklin in a decidedly uncomfortable frame of mind.