I don't believe in force, Mr. Cord."
"Oh yes, you do, Mr. Moreton."
"What do you mean?"
"You were proposing to use a much more pernicious kind of force when
you proposed talking the boy out of his first love. However, to be
candid with you, I must tell you that the issue is dead. They ran off
yesterday and were married in Boston."
There was a short silence and then Ben moved toward the door.
"Won't you stay to lunch?" said Mr. Cord, politely.
"Thank you, no," said Ben. He wanted to be alone. Like all dominating
people who don't get their own way in an altruistic issue, his
feelings were deeply wounded. He took his hat from the disapproving
Tomes, and went out to the sea to think. He supposed he was going to
think about David's future and the terrible blow his paper had just
received.
As the door closed behind him, Eddie turned to Mr. Cord with a world
of reproach in his eyes.
"Well," he said, "I must say, sir, I think you were unnecessarily
gentle with that fellow."
"Seemed to me a fine young fellow," said Mr. Cord.
"Asking him to lunch," said Eddie.
"I did that for Crystal," replied Cord, getting up and slapping his
pockets--a gesture which in some subconscious way he hoped would make
Eddie go home. "She's always so keen to meet new people. If she heard
that the editor of _Liberty_ had been here while she was asleep and
that I had not tried to keep him for her to see--whew!--she would make
a scene.
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