The lean face changed not a whit. "I take my end of it. If I don't,
Marsham will."
"Look here, this isn't a one man job." Wimperley's voice had barely regained its steadiness. "This message settles, as I take it, our views of Clark. God knows we don't question anything but his suitability for his position at the present stage of affairs. He's got to be told the inevitable and we've all got to go up. There's no other way out of it. We'll give him one or two of the smaller companies to run and the public needn't know anything about it. I remember the point you made, Stoughton. It's a good one and we've got to look out for it."
But Stoughton did not move. "I'll be damned," he said softly, still staring at the roof lines of Philadelphia. "Blast furnaces!"
"You will, if you don't come up with us," replied Birch acidly.
"I suppose I will. When do we go?"
"Will a week from to-day suit?"
They all made it suit. After a contemplative moment Riggs asked:
"Will you let him know, Wimperley, and just what do you propose to say? You'll remember there have been other times when we contemplated putting the brakes on, but we all got galvanized and the thing didn't work."
"I'd merely say that we four are coming up—that's all."
Stoughton grinned a formidable grin in which there was a show of teeth and an outthrust jaw.