But behind this impassive exterior much was happening.  It was not so great a change as it was an expansion of something which had always existed.  Covington had made his mark before Gorham discovered him.  The older man’s attention had been attracted to him by the chain he had developed of over six hundred separate retail stores, all dealing in the same commodities and each one an individual business success.  Gorham watched him post his sentries at different street corners in the city he was testing to determine the density of the traffic, finally selecting the location where the crowd passed most steadily all day.

“I am never fooled by the noon-hour crowd,” Covington confided to him; “they spend all their time eating lunch.  I always keep away from streets where there are banks—­after three o’clock in the afternoon you’ll find as much retail business in the morgue.”

Gorham saw him rent whole buildings in order to get the particular corner store he wanted, and then organize a real-estate business to handle the rental of stores and offices which he could not use.  He saw him arrange his show-cases and goods in such a manner that customers easily found what they wanted, were served promptly, and departed satisfied, to return again.  He studied Covington’s system of turning over each new store to a chief clerk to be operated on a percentage, thus giving him all the dignity of a proprietor and stimulating him to his maximum activity.  Promotions were accomplished by transferring the clerks from smaller to larger stores, which automatically raised their salaries by the increased volume of business on which to draw their percentage.  Gorham listened to the instructions Covington gave them in governing their relations with customers—­original, forceful, and sane—­and then he witnessed in various stores the practical demonstration and the results.  This same genius, he reasoned naturally, applied to a similar chain of large concerns, would enable Covington to exercise his ability almost to an unlimited extent, and Gorham succeeded in convincing him that it was worth while for him to join in the development of the Consolidated Companies, turning over the retail amalgamation to his chief subordinate.  One by one the master mind brought the varied corporations into line; one by one, with equal though different skill, Covington completed the work which his chief had begun.  Between them they succeeded in filling the positions made necessary by the growth of the Companies with efficient and enthusiastic subordinates, so that each time the chain was let out to admit another link the welding was accomplished without weakening the strength of the whole.