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Paulus stopped and stared. No one would call the girl beautiful. But no one would call her ugly either. Mostly she was clearly A
"A
"How did you ever know to look here?"
"I didn't and I didn't think I'd ever find you. So I wasn't even looking. But since I was passing through town I thought I'd see how things were going in the shoe plants." He couldn't help doing a little bragging. "Having stockholders dropping in for a look around from time to time is supposed to be good for keeping the management on their toes."
"You're a stockholder?" A
"No you don't." Paulus said. "You need to quit."
" Quit?I can't do that! I need this job!"
The plant manager spoke up, "Herr Meier, I would hate to see her quit. She is a good worker. She is on the list for trainees for the new press."
Paulus ignored the plant manager and said to A
"Yes I do! How will I pay my room and board?"
"A
"Paulus, there are lots of people younger than me working here."
"Yes, but they're not wards of the Wolmirstedt Shoemaker's Guild."
"There isn't such a thing as a Wolmirstedt Shoemaker's Guild."
"Well, there was. It was your father and my father and your father was the guild master. So I guess my father is now. It really doesn't matter. When my father finds out you're working in a shoe mill, he'll put a stop to it. You can't work here if you're going to school in Grantville where my parents can keep an eye on you. So you can quit now and come to Grantville with me. Or you can wait and make my father come and get you. You don't want to make him do that! He won't ask you to quit. He'll tell you to. Then if you don't he'll have them fire you."
Several thoughts and emotions flashed through A
When A
Shock fought with puzzlement for dominance in Paulus' mind. He'd never really considered the possibility that A
"Herr Wiesel," Paulus asked the plant manager, "would you be kind enough to give her the rest of the day off?"
"Paulus, they'll dock me."
"I'd object if they didn't!" he said. "Don't worry, I'll cover it. Go get your coat and meet me in the office. We'll go to an early lunch."
"But, who will do her job?" The manager objected. "We're barely keeping up as it is. I'll end up sending some people home early when we run out of uppers and we'll miss our production goal for the day." He knew he had a wi
A
Recognizing defeat Paulus said, "A
Back in the office, Herr Wiesel asked, "If you don't mind my asking, what is your interest in our A
"I was her father's apprentice. I'm going to marry her."
"Oh? I thought she had an understanding with Adolf."
"What? Who?"
Now her reaction started to make since. The startlement transformed into anger. A
The manager answered Paulus' question, "Adolf Braun, he's one of our machine operators. He's been trying to raise a loan to buy a sewing machine to go into business. They won't sell him the sewing machines on installments because he isn't a master, so they don't consider him qualified. If he can manage to get a loan, the rent would be cheaper out of town. So he's been talking to A
"But, he can't compete with a mill." Paulus said.
"He doesn't want to. He wants to make a town shoe instead of a work boot. He wants to buy cut soles and whole hides and his other supplies from us and then he wants to sell his shoes out of our retail store here in town. You remember, we originally opened it to have someplace to sell the seconds we can't send to the army. We're selling out of seconds and we're getting a good rate for firsts going out the door too."
"Would the scheme work?"
"When we get the new press for uppers up and ru
Paulus smiled. "I don't think it will be a problem as long as you're sure it will be profitable."
"If he pays cash for the supplies and we take his shoes on consignment I don't know why it wouldn't be."
"Well, my father is making a lady's high-heeled dress shoe that is selling well in a dress shop in Grantville. Do you think your retail store would be interested in taking some on consignment?" If they were and his father decided to do it, then, he would have to take on an apprentice or hire help. He might try insisting that Ebert do it and that could cause all kind of problems. Maybe he shouldn't even bring it up. It would mean more money but sometimes there are other things, like domestic tranquility, that need to be considered.