ions, and they
did manage to impress upon him that certain things mentioned in the
Civic League's report must not be allowed to reoccur. One juror--he
was a planter--had even had the temerity to say out loud the ugly word
"penetentiary."

Inglesby was shocked. He hadn't known. He was a man of large interests
and he had to leave a great deal to the discretion of superintendents
and foremen. It might be, yes, he could understand how it might very
well be--that his confidence had been abused. He would look into these
things personally hereafter. Why, he was even now busily engaged
compiling a "Book of Rules for Employees." He deplored the almost
universal unrest among employees. It was a very bad sign. Very. Due
almost entirely to agitators, too.

He didn't come out of that investigation without some of its slime
sticking to him, and this annoyed and irritated and enraged him more
than we guessed, for we hadn't as yet learned the man's ambition.
Also, the women kept following him up. They meant to make him comply
with the strict letter of the law, if that were humanly possible.

He was far too shrewd not to recognize this; for he presently called
on my mother and offered her whatever aid he could reasonably give.
Her work was invaluable; his foremen and superintendents had
instructions to give her any information she asked for, to show her
anything in the mills she wished to see, and to report to headquarters
any suggestions as to the--er--younger employees, she might be kind
enough to make. If that were not enough she might, he suggested, call
on him personally. Really, one couldn't but admire the _savoir faire_
of this large unctious being, so fluent, so plausible, until one
happened to catch of a sudden that hard and ruthless gleam which, in
spite of all his caution, would leap at times into his cold eyes.

"Is he, or isn't he, a hypocrite pure and simple, or are such men
self-deceived?" mused my mother, puckering her brows. "He will do
nothing, I know, that he can well avoid. But--he gave me of his own
accord his personal check for fifty dollars, for that poor consumptive
Shivers woman."

"She contracted her disease working in his mill and living in one of
his houses on the wages he paid her," said I, "I might remind you to
beware of the Greeks when they come bearing gifts."

"Proverb for proverb," said she. "The hair of the dog is good for its
bite."

"Fifty dollars isn't much for a woman's life."

"Fifty d