ght you not
to judge whether the men are rendering an equivalent for their pay,
without subjecting them to the humiliation of constant espionage?" He
looked fixedly at Firmstone, as he ended his arraignment.

Firmstone waited, if perchance Hartwell had not finished.

"Is your case all in?" he finally asked.

"For the present, yes." Hartwell snapped his jaws together decidedly.

"Then I'll start."

"Wait a moment, right there," Hartwell interrupted.

"No. I will not wait. I am going right on. You've been informing
yourself generally. Now I'm going to inform you particularly. In the
first place, how did you find out that I had been subjecting the men to
this humiliating espionage, as you call it?" Firmstone waited for a
reply.

"I don't know that I am under obligations to answer that question,"
Hartwell replied, stiffly.

"Then I'll answer it for you. You've been to my foremen, my shift
bosses, my workmen; you've been, above all other places, to the Blue
Goose. You've been to anyone and everyone whose interest it is to weaken
my authority and to render me powerless to combat the very evils of
which you complain."

Hartwell started to interrupt; but Firmstone waved him to silence.

"This is a vital point. One thing more: instead of acquiring information
as to the conditions that confront me and about my method of handling
them, you go to my enemies, get their opinions and, what is worse, act
upon them as your own."

"Wait a minute right there." Hartwell spoke imperiously. "You speak of
'my foremen' and 'my shift bosses.' They are not your men; they are
ours. We pay them, and we are going to see to it that we get an
equivalent return, in any way we think advisable." Hartwell ignored
Firmstone's last words.

"That may be your position. If it is it is not a wise one, and, what is
more, it is not tenable. You put me out here to manage your business,
and you hold me responsible for results. I ask from you the same
consideration I give to my foremen. I do not hire a single man at the
mine or mill; my foremen attend to that. I give my orders direct to my
foremen, and hold them strictly responsible. The men are responsible to
my foremen, my foremen are responsible to me, and I in turn am wholly
responsible to you. If in one single point you interfere with my
organisation I not only decline to assume any responsibility whatever,
but, farther, I shall tender my resignation at once."

Hartwell listened impatiently, b