lonel
Harris's inspection. After twice carefully reading the contract, he gave
his approval and wrote Mr. Searles a letter of introduction to Mr. B.C.
Wilson, his manager at Harrisville, requesting the latter to permit Mr.
Searles and his experts to examine all property and accounts of the
Harrisville Iron & Steel Co. for ten years back.

It was also arranged that on Wednesday, at 12 o'clock noon, Mr. Searles
should see the Harrises off to Europe, then Mr. Searles and his experts
were to go to Harrisville in Colonel Harris's private car. Later Mr.
Searles and Colonel Harris were to meet in London, and then, if
everything was mutually satisfactory, all parties were to affix their
signatures to the agreement, and the cash payment was to be made at the
London office of Guerney & Barring.

Wednesday, Colonel Harris rose early as had been his habit from
childhood. He was exacting in his family, and also as a manager of labor.
Every morning at six o'clock all the family had to be at the breakfast
table. Colonel Harris always asked the blessing. Its merit was its
brevity: sometimes he only said--"Dear Lord, make us grateful and good
to-day. Amen." Thirty minutes later, summer and winter, his horses and
carriage stood at his door, and punctually at fifteen minutes of seven
o'clock he would reach his great mills. His first duty was to walk
through his works, as his skilled laborers with dinner pails entered the
broad gates and began the day's work. Devotion like this usually brings
success.

After breakfast, Mrs. Harris and her daughters walked down Fifth Avenue
to make a few purchases. Alfonso and Leo hurried off to get their baggage
to the "Majestic," while Jean busied himself in seeing that a transfer
was made to the steamer of all the trunks, valises, etc., left at the
depot and hotel.

At ten o'clock Jean called at the dock to learn if the half-dozen steamer
chairs and as many warm blankets had arrived, and he found everything in
readiness. It was 10:30 o'clock when the Waldorf bill was paid, and the
good-bye given. The young people were jubilant, as the long hoped-for
pleasure trip to Europe was about to be realized.

The carriages for the steamer could not go fast enough to satisfy the
old, or the young people. Several schoolmates, artists, business and
society friends met them on the dock. Many fashionable people had already
arrived to say "_Bon Voyage_" to the Harrises and to Leo. Hundreds of
others had come to se