whole band were convicted and sentenced for life to hard
labor in the penitentiary.
It was decided that Colonel Harris and Gertrude should soon sail to
rejoin Mrs. Harris and party in England, and notice of this decision was
cabled next day to them at London. The colonel was busy examining
carefully George Ingram's detailed drawings of a new, enlarged, and
much improved plan for a huge steel plant. The improvements were to be up
to date, and his plans involved an entirely new process of converting
ores into steel. It was agreed that George and his father, James Ingram,
should perfect their inventions on which both for a long time had been
zealously at work, and that later George and the colonel should make a
tour of observation of leading iron and steel works in Europe.
Gertrude was now very happy. The selled together, concerning the proper
relations of capital and labor, and since the explosion they studied the
question more earnestly than ever. Their scheme involved not only
improved works in a new location, but also a plan to harmonize, if
possible, capital and labor, which they hoped might work great good to
humanity. Gertrude told George Ingram that his golden opportunity had
come, and she resolved to render him all the assistance possible.
CHAPTER XIV
COLONEL HARRIS FOLLOWS HIS FAMILY ABROAD
Gertrude's receipt for growing oranges in a northern climate was as
follows: Let a child hold a large and a small orange in her hands, and
give away the large orange, and the smaller will begin to grow until,
when eaten, it will look bigger and taste sweeter than the large fruit
given away. "Try it!" Gertrude often said.
That was the principle by which Gertrude Harris was always acting. If she
had flowers, fruit, books, pretty gifts, or money, her first thought
always was, "How can I make somebody happy?" With such a generous soul,
part nature's gift and part acquired by self-sacrifice, the life of
Gertrude was as buoyant and happy as the birds in a flower garden.
The decision of Gertrude's father to take her and meet his family in
Europe was not known in Harrisville except to a few. Most of the
colonel's friends supposed that he was busy planning some new business
adventure, in which he might employ his surplus capital and his undoubted
business abilities. Because of the recent calamity, and the hardships of
the employees in connection with their strike, he thought it unwise to
make public mention of his
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