“How would you like to try your hand at the editing of the Alaska schedules, Noble?” asked the chief of the division when the boy appeared before him a few moments later.

“Very much indeed, Mr. Cullern,” Hamilton replied.

“I understand that you have shown a great deal of interest in your work while you have been here,” the chief said, “and when I was asked yesterday if I had any one to recommend I thought of you at once.  Having had experience in the manufactures end, as well as in the population, ought to help you a good deal in the work.  You were a special agent in the manufactures, were you not?”

“Yes, sir,” the boy answered, “but I don’t think any of the places to which I went resembled in any way the conditions in Alaska.”

“Probably not,” the chief said dryly, “New England isn’t usually considered in that light.  But the underlying principles are the same, of course, all the way through.  Well, if you want to try it, here is your chance.”

“Very well, sir,” Hamilton answered promptly.  “I shall be glad to take it up.”

The boy waited a moment, but as there seemed nothing more to be said, he walked back to his machine, to straighten up before leaving.

“As soon as you’re through with that schedule,” the foreman in charge of the sub-section told him, “let me know, and then you can go to Mr. Barnes, who is in charge of the Alaskan schedules.”

“I’ve nearly finished,” answered the boy, “I’ll be done in a quarter of an hour anyway.”

Accordingly, a little later, Hamilton found his way to another part of the building, where he met his new superior, a small, alert, nervous, quick-spoken man, who, as Hamilton afterwards found out, had the capacity of working at lightning speed, and then stopping and wanting to talk at intervals.  He said very little when Hamilton first came to him, merely handing him a number of schedules to edit.

Hamilton watched him furtively several times and noted the amazing rapidity of his work.  Secretly he knew he could not attain that speed, but he thought he had better make as good a showing as he could, and so he, too, buckled to the job for all he was worth.  When the boy had done two or three schedules, each containing fifty names, Mr. Barnes reached out for those that had been edited and went through them closely.  He made one or two corrections.

“That’s not half bad, Noble,” he said suddenly, “but I can see from one or two little things you let go by that you are not entirely familiar with that country.  I’ll tell you more about it later, but in the meantime you had better look over some of the reports the supervisors have sent in; they give you an insight into what those enumerators out there had to go through in order to secure anything like complete schedules.  Here in one from the Fourth District, for example, there is a graphic description of the work which I think you ought to enjoy.  It’s good writing, too.”