The entire front page of the paper next morning was occupied by Mr. Jeffries’ statement. It was a masterpiece. It began by recapitulating the facts—the doubled and tripled cost of material, the city council’s refusal to allow a ten-cent fare, the company’s dilemma,—to the accompaniment of persuasive figures. The _beau geste_ that followed was all the more effective for their convincingness. There were other things than gain in this world. There were human beings. We were our brothers’ keepers. (Stacey thought of Edwards’ remark, and grinned.) We owed them a right to a decent existence even at the cost of sacrifice to ourselves. A corporation was not a soulless machine. It had not, save in theory, any existence of its own. (Stacey nodded approval. Good point!) It was simply a group of individuals banded together, in accordance with the law, for the prosecution of a legitimate business and for the public service. The Vernon Street-Railway Company was such a group; and the members of this group now, after a careful investigation of conditions, made by themselves and by disinterested friends (here complimentary mention was made of Mr. Carroll’s generous initiative), felt that they could not at present, with harsh winter already here, require their employees to live on a reduced wage. This decision was taken though it meant not even a nominal profit but a considerable monthly deficit for the company. Every effort at retrenchment would be made. Economy would be rigid. The service might fall off slightly, but the public were prayed to be lenient, remembering that the company was failing in its business duty in order to accomplish a larger human duty.
Stacey felt no disdain,—only amusement and admiration. Mr. Jeffries’ telephoned message of last evening had revealed the man as not afraid to face the truth squarely. He might live in an atmosphere of magniloquent lies; that was because they served his purpose. At least, he was not himself deceived by them.
Edwards was waiting for Stacey at the office. “By the Lord!” he cried, waving the paper in one hand and wringing Stacey’s hand with the other, “you did it! Damned if you didn’t! Now tell me: _what_ did you do?”
“Why, I just emphasized the things father had already said and pointed out how much my father’s loyalty to Jeffries meant,” said Stacey innocently.