think--and I don't believe my aunt would think--it is quite fair to put
them out of their house when they've had so much trouble. Hasn't Mr.
Riley always been a very good workman? There are lots of things here I
don't think quite right, and when my aunt comes back I'm going to ask
her to change--"

"May I interrupt you, Miss Forsyth, to inquire upon what experience you
base your knowledge? For I assume, of course, you would not want to
radically change things here without knowing what you were offering in
their place. I was under the impression that you were quite a youngster
and had lived with your father in a somewhat Bohemian fashion--"

A deep rose stained Robin's face. She caught the hint of a slur.

"My father taught me what is honest and fair and kind and cruel and--"
She had to stop to control the trembling in her voice. The man took
advantage of it by breaking in, his voice measured and conciliatory. He
suddenly realized the ridiculousness--and the danger--in quarreling with
even a fifteen-year-old Forsyth.

"My dear child, I can readily understand in what light certain
conditions appear to one of your tender years. When you are older you
will understand that an industry such as I am in charge of here, and
conducting, I believe, quite satisfactorily for the Forsyths, has to be
run by the head and not the heart. I dislike immensely having to do such
things as forcing the Rileys to move but you must see it is my duty. If
I make an exception in their case--there will be hundreds like them. As
it happens--" he let a rasp of anger break into his voice--"the cottage
into which they were to move was burned down Saturday night. However
that will only delay the enforcing of my order and when the man or men
who set fire to it are caught they will be dealt with--severely. Your
Rileys will enjoy a few days of grace until we can put another into
shape."

"If they burned it it's because they had to show--us--how they
felt--that the place wasn't fit to live in! Mr. Norris, the Mill people
_are_ nice people; I heard--I heard someone say that this was the only
Mill in all New England where real white folks worked--but they think
we--I mean--the Forsyths--don't care--"

Norris stood up abruptly. Somehow or another he must end this absurd
interview while he could yet hang on to his temper. Some one of these
miserable agitators--he suspected who it might be--had influenced the
girl, was using her for a tool. He had heard, o