the man from glengarry-第73章

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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