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first modern style； the colonel abandoned his usual careless manner
and rose and stood rigidly at attention。
〃Auntie； this is my friend； Colonel Thorp；〃 said Kate。
〃Proud to know you madam；〃 said the colonel； with his finest
military bow。
〃And I am glad to meet Colonel Thorp； I have heard so much of him
through my friends；〃 and she smiled at him with such genuine
kindliness that the gallant colonel lost his heart at once。
〃Your friends have been doing me proud；〃 he said； bowing to her and
then to Kate。
〃Oh； you needn't look at me；〃 said Kate； 〃you don't imagine I have
been saying nice things about you？ She has other friends that
think much of you。〃
〃Yes；〃 said Mrs。 Murray； 〃Ranald has often spoken of you； Colonel
Thorp； and of your kindness；〃 said Mrs。 Murray。
The colonel looked doubtful。 〃Well； I don't know that he thinks
much of me。 I have had to be pretty hard on him。〃
〃Why？〃 asked Mrs。 Murray。
〃Well； I reckon you know him pretty well；〃 began the colonel。
〃Well； she ought to；〃 said Kate； 〃she brought him up； and his many
virtues he owes mostly to my dear aunt's training。〃
〃Oh； Kate； you must not say that；〃 said Mrs。 Murray； gravely。
〃Then；〃 said the colonel； 〃you ought to be proud of him。 You
produced a rare article in the commercial world； and that is a man
of honor。 He is not for sale； and I want to say that I feel as
safe about the company's money out there as if I was settin' on it；
but he needs watching；〃 added the colonel； 〃he needs watching。〃
〃What do you mean？〃 said Mrs。 Murray； whose pale face had flushed
with pleasure and pride at the colonel's praise of Ranald。
〃Too much philanthropy；〃 said the colonel； bluntly； 〃the British…
American Coal and Lumber Company ain't a benevolent society
exactly。〃
〃I am glad you spoke of that； Colonel Thorp； I want to ask you
about some things that I don't understand。 I know that the company
are criticising some of Ranald's methods； but don't know why
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？