your father's case. He's doing all he knows to get this new
hotel of his finished, and what happens? A man gets fired for loafing
on his job, and Connolly calls a strike. And the building operations are
held up till the thing's settled! It isn't right!"

"It's a great shame," agreed Lucille. "I was reading about it in the
paper this morning."

"That man Connolly's a tough guy. You'd think, being a personal friend
of your father, he would--"

"I didn't know they were friends."

"Been friends for years. But a lot of difference that makes. Out come
the men just the same. It isn't right! I was saying it wasn't right!"
repeated Mr. Blumenthal to Archie, for he was a man who liked the
attention of every member of his audience.

Archie did not reply. He was staring glassily across the room at two
men who had just come in. One was a large, stout, square-faced man of
commanding personality. The other was Mr. Daniel Brewster.

Mr. Blumenthal followed his gaze.

"Why, there is Connolly coming in now!"

"Father!" gasped Lucille.

Her eyes met Archie's. Archie took a hasty drink of ice-water.

"This," he murmured, "has torn it!"

"Archie, you must do something!"

"I know! But what?"

"What's the trouble?" enquired Mr. Blumenthal, mystified.

"Go over to their table and talk to them," said Lucille.

"Me!" Archie quivered. "No, I say, old thing, really!"

"Get them away!"

"How do you mean?"

"I know!" cried Lucille, inspired, "Father promised that you should
be manager of the new hotel when it was built. Well, then, this strike
affects you just as much as anybody else. You have a perfect right to
talk it over with them. Go and ask them to have dinner up in our suite
where you can discuss it quietly. Say that up there they won't be
disturbed by the--the music."

At this moment, while Archie wavered, hesitating like a diver on the
edge of a spring-board who is trying to summon up the necessary nerve to
project himself into the deep, a bell-boy approached the table where
the Messrs. Brewster and Connolly had seated themselves. He murmured
something in Mr. Brewster's ear, and the proprietor of the Cosmopolis
rose and followed him out of the room.

"Quick! Now's your chance!" said Lucille, eagerly. "Father's been called
to the telephone. Hurry!"

Archie took another drink of ice-water to steady his shaking
nerve-centers, pulled down his waistcoat, straightened his tie, and
then, with something of the air of a