"Faith, we'll take your explanation for all it's worth," was the
wrathful woman's comment, uttered with scorn. She was too deeply hurt to
be solaced by explanations that did not alter the shameful fact one
whit. She turned again toward the doorway, only to be halted by the
appearance there of her husband, accompanied by Schmidt and Ferguson.

McMahon paused just within the room, and stood rubbing his hands, and
grinning jovially, his round face aglow with satisfaction. He addressed
his wife banteringly, evidently in high good spirits:

"Faith, Katy McMahon," he exclaimed, "but you're looking proud the day!
Sure, now, I'll have the automobile to take us all up to Sherry's in
just a minute, when we've done talking with Mr. Hamilton. Bedad, with
our wives and daughters moving in such elegant society and members of
such a grand club with the boss's wife, we wouldn't dare take them any
less place at all!"

"It's a bad mind-reader you are!" fairly shouted the outraged wife.
Sadie added something unintelligible, it was so rapidly uttered and so
venomously hissed. Even Mrs. Schmidt displayed every symptom of speech
save sound.

"What's the matter, Sadie?" Ferguson demanded, not unkindly, as he
observed the expression on his daughter's face. "Wasn't your false hair
the right shade? I'm sorry, if it ain't, because I don't see as how I
can buy you any more with this ten per cent. cut we're taking."

Instantly, Cicily aroused to new hope. She moved a stop forward, her
hands up-raised in eagerness. A glow of color burned in either cheek,
and her eyes sparkled again.

"Oh," she questioned tensely, "then you're not going to strike--you'll
take the cut?"

It was Schmidt who answered, beaming happily on his hostess.

"Strike? Ah, no! When you make friends with our wives, and Mr. Hamilton,
he tells us the truth just like one man with another, we appreciate it,
yes; we stand by and help, yes!"

"Schmidt's right," Ferguson added. "Mr. Hamilton and you, ma'am, are
human. So, we've decided to stick it out for a while, anyhow."

McMahon, too, yielded his tribute of commendation.

"Yes, Mrs. Hamilton," he said seriously, "there's one thing that the
bosses generally don't understand; but the men always appreciate it when
the boss, and the boss's wife, too, are on the level."

To the amazement of everyone, Mrs. Schmidt broke into speech; find that
outburst was like the eruction of Krakatao in its unexpectedness, its
suddenness,