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exactly。〃
〃Now； Colonel；〃 cried Kate； 〃stand to your guns。〃
〃Well；〃 said the colonel； 〃I am going to execute a masterly
retreat； as they used to say when a fellow ran away。 I am going to
get behind my company。 They claim； you see； that Ranald ain't a
paying concern。〃
〃But how？〃 said Mrs。 Murray。
Then the colonel enumerated the features of Ranald's management
most severely criticised by the company。 He paid the biggest wages
going； the cost of supplies for the camps was greater； and the
company's stores did not show as large profits as formerly； 〃and of
course；〃 said the colonel； 〃the first aim of any company is to pay
dividends； and the manager that can't do that has to go。〃
Then Mrs。 Murray proceeded to deal with the company's contentions；
going at once with swift intuition to the heart of the matter。
〃You were speaking of honor a moment ago； Colonel。 There is such a
thing in business？〃
〃Certainly； that's why I put that young man where he is。〃
〃That means that the company expect him to deal fairly by them。〃
〃That's about it。〃
〃And being a man of honor； I suppose he will also deal fairly by
the men and by himself。〃
〃I guess so；〃 said the colonel。
〃I don't pretend to understand the questions fully； but from
Ranald's letters I have gathered that he did not consider that
justice was being done either to the men or to the company。 For
instance； in the matter of storesI may be wrong in this； you will
correct me； ColonelI understand it was the custom to charge the
men in the camps for the articles they needed prices three or four
times what was fair。〃
〃Well；〃 said the colonel； 〃I guess things WERE a little high； but
that's the way every company does。〃
〃And then I understand that the men were so poorly housed and fed
and so poorly paid that only those of the inferior class could be
secured。〃
〃Well； I guess they weren't very high…class；〃 said the colonel；
〃that's right enough。〃
〃But； Colonel； if you secure a better class of men； and you treat
them in a fair and honorable way with some regard to their comfort
you ought to get better results in work； shouldn't you？〃
〃Well； that's so；〃 said the colonel； 〃there never was such an
amount of timber got out with the same number of men since the
company started work； but yet the thing don't pay； and that's the
trouble。 The concern must pay or go under。〃
〃Yes； that's quite true； Colonel；〃 said Mrs。 Murray； 〃but why
doesn't your concern pay？〃
〃Well； you see； there's no market； trade is dull and we can't sell
to advantage。〃
〃But surely that is not your manager's fault；〃 said Mrs。 Murray；
〃and surely it would be an unjust thing to hold him responsible for
that。〃
〃But the company don't look at things in that light；〃 said the
colonel。 〃You see they figure it this way； stores ain't bringing
in the returns they used to； the camps cost a little more； wages
are a little higher； there ain't nothing coming in； and they say；
Well； that chap out there means well with his reading…rooms for the
mill hands； his library in the camp； and that sort of thing； but he
ain't sharp enough！〃
〃Sharp enough！ that's a hard word； Colonel；〃 said Mrs。 Murray；
earnestly； 〃and it may be a cruel word； but if Ranald were ever so
sharp he really couldn't remove the real cause of the trouble。 You
say he has produced larger results than ever before； and if the
market were normal there would be larger returns。 Then； it seems
to me； Colonel； that if Ranald suffers he is suffering； not because
he has been unfaithful or incompetent； but because the market is
bad； and that I am certain you would not consider fair。〃
〃You must not be too hard on us；〃 said the colonel。 〃So far as I
am concerned； I think you are right； but it is a hard thing to make
business men look at these things in anything but a business way。〃
〃But it should not be hard； Colonel；〃 said Mrs。 Murray； with sad
earnestness； 〃to make even business men see that when honor is the
price of dividends the cost is too great；〃 and without giving the
colonel an opportunity of replying； she went on with eager
enthusiasm to show how the laws of the kingdom of heaven might be
applied to the great problems of labor。 〃And it would pay；
Colonel；〃 she cried； 〃it would pay in money； but far more it would
pay in what cannot be bought for moneyin the lives and souls of
men； for unjust and uncharitable dealing injures more the man who
is guilty of it than the man who suffers from it in the first
instance。〃
〃Madam；〃 answered the colonel； gravely； 〃I feel you are right； and
I should be glad to have you address the meeting of our share…
holders； called for next month； to discuss the question of our
western business。〃
〃Do you mean Ranald's position？〃 asked Kate。
〃Well； I rather think that will come up。〃
〃Then；〃 said Mrs。 Murray； unconsciously claiming the colonel's
allegiance； 〃I feel sure there will be one advocate at least for
fair and honorable dealing at that meeting。〃 And the colonel was
far too gallant to refuse to acknowledge the claim； but simply
said： 〃You may trust me； madam； I shall do my best。〃
〃I only wish papa were here；〃 said Kate。 〃He is a share…holder；
isn't he？ And wish he could hear you； auntie； but he and mamma
won't be home for two weeks。〃
〃Oh； Kate；〃 cried Mrs。 Murray； 〃you make me ashamed； and I fear I
have been talking too much。〃
At this point Harry came in。 〃I just came over to send you to
bed；〃 he said； kissing his aunt； and greeting the others。 〃You are
all to look your most beautiful to…morrow。〃
〃Well；〃 said the colonel； slowly； 〃that won't be hard for the rest
of you； and it don't matter much for me； and I hope we ain't going
to lose our music。〃
〃No； indeed！〃 cried Kate； sitting down at the piano； while the
colonel leaned back in his easy chair and gave himself up to an
hour's unmingled delight。
〃You have given more pleasure than you know to a wayfaring man；〃 he
said； as he bade her good night。
〃Come again； when you are in town； you are always welcome； Colonel
Thorp；〃 she said。
〃You may count me here every time；〃 said the colonel。 Then turning
to Mrs。 Murray； with a low bow； he said； 〃you have given me some
ideas madam； that I hope may not be quite unfruitful； and as for
that young man of yours； wellIguessyou ain'thurt his cause
any。 We'll put up a fight； anyway。〃
〃I am glad to have met you； Colonel Thorp；〃 said Mrs。 Murray； 〃and
I am quite sure you will stand up for what is right；〃 and with
another bow the colonel took his leave。
〃Now； Harry； you must go； too；〃 said Kate； 〃you can see your aunt
again after to…morrow； and I must get my beauty sleep； besides I
don't want to stand up with a man gaunt and hollow…eyed for lack of
sleep；〃 and she bundled him off in spite of his remonstrances。 But
eager as Kate was for her beauty sleep； the light burned late in
her room； and long after she had seen Mrs。 Murray snugly tucked in
for the night； she sat with Ranald's open letter in her hand；
reading it till she almost knew it by heart。 It told； among other
things； of his differences with the company in regard to stores；
wages； and supplies； and of his efforts to establish a reading…room
at the mills； and a library at the camps； but there was a sentence
at the close of the letter that Kate read over and over again with
the light of a great love in her eyes and with a cry of pain in her
heart。 〃The magazines and papers that Kate sends are a great boon。
Dear Kate； what a girl she is！ I know none like her； and what a
friend she has been to me ever since the day she stood up for me at
Quebec。 You remember I told you about that。 What a guy I must
have been； but she never showed a sign of shame。 I often think of
that now； how different she was from another！ I see it now as I
could not thena man is a fool once in his life； but I have got my
lesson and still have a good true friend。〃 Often she read and long
she pondered the last words。 It was so easy to read too much into
them。 〃A good； true friend。〃 She looked at the words till the
tears came。 Then she stood up and looked at herself in the glass。
〃Now； young woman；〃 she said； severely； 〃be sensible and don't
dream dreams until you are asleep； and to sleep you must go
forthwith。〃 But sleep was slow to come； and strange to say； it was
the thought of the little woman in the next room that quieted her
heart and sent her to sleep； and next day she was looking her best。
And when the ceremony was over； and the guests were assembled at
the wedding breakfast； there were not a few who agreed with Harry
when； in his speech； he threw down his gage as champion for the
peerless bridesmaid； whom for the houralas； too shorthe was
privileged to call his 〃lady fair。〃 For while Kate had not the
beauty of form and face and the fascination of manner that turned
men's heads and made Maimie the envy of all her set； there was in
her a wholesomeness； a fearless sincerity； a noble dignity； and
that indescribable charm of a true heart that made men trust her
and love her as only good women are loved。 At last the brilliant
affair was all over； the rice and old boots were thrown； the
farewell words spoken； and te