, and is, I believe, expecting you at her party
to-morrow night. Indeed, I understand she was determined that it should
not come off until you had returned, which shows she shares the opinion
of the firm concerning you.

I am yours sincerely,

EUGENE ST. CLAIR.

Ranald sat staring at the letter for a long time. He saw with perfect
clearness Mr. St. Clair's meaning, and a sense of keen humiliation
possessed him as he realized what it was that he was expected to do.
But it took some time for the full significance of the situation to dawn
upon him. None knew better than he how important it was to the firm that
this sale should be effected. The truth was if the money market should
become at all close the firm would undoubtedly find themselves in
serious difficulty. Ruin to the company meant not only the blasting of
his own prospects, but misery to her whom he loved better than life; and
after all, what he was asked to do was nothing more than might be done
any day in the world of business. Every buyer is supposed to know the
value of the thing he buys, and certainly Colonel Thorp should not
commit his company to a deal involving such a large sum of money without
thoroughly informing himself in regard to the value of the limits in
question, and when he, as an employee of the Raymond and St. Clair
Lumber Company, gave in his report, surely his responsibility ceased. He
was not asked to present any incorrect report; he could easily make
it convenient to be absent until the deal was closed. Furthermore, the
chances were that the British-American Coal and Lumber Company would
still have good value for their money, for the west half of the limits
was exceptionally good; and besides, what right had he to besmirch the
honor of his employer, and to set his judgment above that of a man
of much greater experience? Ranald understood also Mr. St. Clair's
reference to the changes in the firm, and it gave him no small
satisfaction to think that in four years he had risen from the position
of lumber checker to that of manager, with an offer of a partnership;
nor could he mistake the suggestion in Mr. St. Clair's closing words.
Every interest he had in life would be furthered by the consummation
of the deal, and would be imperiled by his refusing to adopt Mr. St.
Clair's suggestion. Still, argue as he might, Ranald never had any
doubt as to what, as a man of honor, he ought to do. Colonel Thorp was
entitled to the information that he a