on was busily suggesting, and the man was
listening. Was there not more than an even chance that Andrew Galbraith
would die, after all? He was old, with the life-reserves spent and the
weight of the years upon him. And if he should not die, there was still
a chance that days might elapse before he would be able to gather
himself sufficiently to remember and to raise the hue and cry. Griswold
put a hot hand across the corner of the table and felt for Raymer's cool
one.

"There's only one other way, Edward; and that is to fight like the
devil," he said, speaking as one who has weighed and measured and
decided. "What do you say?"

"If you will stay," Raymer began, hesitantly.

"I'll stay--as long as I can." Then, with the note of harshness
returning: "We'll make the fight, and we'll give these muckers of yours
all they are looking for. Shut the plant doors to-morrow morning and
make it a lock-out. I'll be over bright and early and we'll place a
bunch of wire orders in the cities for strike-breakers. That will bring
them to time."

Raymer got up slowly and felt in the dark for his hat.

"Strike-breakers!" he groaned. "Griswold, it would make my father turn
over in his coffin if he could know that we've come to that! But I guess
you're right. Everybody says I'm too soft-hearted to be a master of men.
Well, I must be getting home. To-morrow morning, at the plant? All
right; good-night."

And he turned to grope his way to the door and through the dark upper
hall and down the stair.

XXXI

NARROWING WALLS

When Griswold had reached across the corner of his writing-table in the
unlighted study to strike hands with Edward Raymer upon the promise to
stay and help, it is conceivable that he gave the impelling motive its
just due. To step aside was to become a fugitive, leaving a fugitive's
plain trail and half-confession of guilt behind him to direct the
pursuit. To stay and face the crisis coldly was equally out of the
question for a man of temperament. The call to action came as a draught
of fiery wine to the overspent and he accepted in a sudden upsurge of
self-centring that took nothing into the account save the welcome
excitement of a conflict.

It was with rather more than less of the self-centring that he joined
the conference with Raymer and the shop bosses in the offices of the
plant the following morning. Having slept upon the quarrel, Raymer was
on the conciliatory hand, and four of the five departm