.

"How happy he is," said Mrs. Templeton, a wistful cadence of sadness in
her voice.

"I wonder if he is, Mamma. Perhaps he is only pretending," said Adrien.

"Cheerio, old chap!" cried Vic, waving his hand at the gallant little
songster. "You are a regular grouch killer."

"He has no troubles," said Mrs. Templeton, with a sigh.

"I wonder, Mamma. Or is he just bluffing us all?"

"He has no strike, at any rate, to worry him," said Patricia, "and,
by the way, what is the news to-day? Does anybody know? Is there any
change?"

"Oh," cried Vic, "there has been a most exciting morning at the E. D.
C.--the Employers' Defence Committee," he explained, in answer to Mrs.
Templeton's mystified look.

"Do go on!" cried Patricia impatiently. "Was there a fight? They are
always having one."

"Of course there was the usual morning scrap, but with a variation
to-day of a deputation from the brethren of the Ministerial Association.
But, of course, Mrs. Templeton, the Doctor must have told you already."

"I hardly ever see him these days. He is dreadfully occupied. There is
so much trouble, sickness and that sort of thing. Oh, it is all terribly
sad. The Doctor is almost worn out."

"He made a wonderful speech to the magnates, my governor says."

"Oh, go on, Vic!" cried Patricia. "Why do you stop? You are so
deliberate."

"I was thinking of that speech," replied Victor more quietly than was
his wont. "It came at a most dramatic moment. The governor was quite
worked up over it and gave me a full account. They had just got all
their reports in--'all safe along the Potomac'--no break in the front
line--Building Industries slightly shaky due to working men's groups
taking on small contracts, which excited great wrath and which McGinnis
declared must be stopped."

"How can they stop them? This is a free country," said Adrien.

"Aha!" cried Victor. "Little you know of the resources of the E. D. C.
It is proposed that the supply dealers should refuse supplies to all
builders until the strike is settled. No more lumber, lime, cement,
etc., etc."

"Boycott, eh? I call that pretty rotten," said Adrien.

"The majority were pretty much for it, however, except Maitland and my
governor, they protesting that this boycott was hardly playing the game.
Your friend Captain Jack came in for his licks," continued Vic, turning
to Patricia. "It appears he has been employing strikers in some work
or other, which some of the brethren cons