his convictions, and he had a right to express them, so
far as they had no personal bearing."

"Of course," said Fulkerson, while Miss Woodburn perched on the arm of
her father's chair.

"At the same time, sir, I think that if Mr. Dryfoos felt a personal
censure in Mr. Lindau's questions concerning his suppression of the
strike among his workmen, he had a right to resent it."

"Exactly," Fulkerson assented.

"But it must be evident to you, sir, that a high-spirited gentleman like
Mr. March--I confess that my feelings are with him very warmly in the
matter--could not submit to dictation of the nature you describe."

"Yes, I see," said Fulkerson; and, with that strange duplex action of
the human mind, he wished that it was his hair, and not her father's,
that Miss Woodburn was poking apart with the corner of her fan.

"Mr. Lindau," the colonel concluded, "was right from his point of
view, and Mr. Dryfoos was equally right. The position of Mr. March is
perfectly correct--"

His daughter dropped to her feet from his chair-arm. "Mah goodness!
If nobody's in the wrong, ho' awe you evah going to get the mattah
straight?"

"Yes, you see," Fulkerson added, "nobody can give in."

"Pardon me," said the colonel, "the case is one in which all can give
in."

"I don't know which 'll begin," said Fulkerson.

The colonel rose. "Mr. Lindau must begin, sir. We must begin by seeing
Mr. Lindau, and securing from him the assurance that in the expression
of his peculiar views he had no intention of offering any personal
offence to Mr. Dryfoos. If I have formed a correct estimate of Mr.
Lindau, this will be perfectly simple."

Fulkerson shook his head. "But it wouldn't help. Dryfoos don't care a
rap whether Lindau meant any personal offence or not. As far as that
is concerned, he's got a hide like a hippopotamus. But what he hates
is Lindau's opinions, and what he says is that no man who holds such
opinions shall have any work from him. And what March says is that no
man shall be punished through him for his opinions, he don't care what
they are."

The colonel stood a moment in silence. "And what do you expect me to do
under the circumstances?"

"I came to you for advice--I thought you might suggest----?"

"Do you wish me to see Mr. Dryfoos?"

"Well, that's about the size of it," Fulkerson admitted. "You see,
colonel," he hastened on, "I know that you have a great deal of
influence with him; that article of yours is about