"You might have waited, it seems to me, Mr. Hunter," he said. "You might have had some mercy on the boy."
Ward did not see the peculiar smile that played on Hunter's face.
"If I remember, Mr. Ward, you had a young man in your employ once, who--"
Ward could scarcely repress a groan.
"I know, I know," he hastened to confess.
"Yes, exactly," said Hunter, his chuckle now indicating a dry satisfaction. "You did it as a duty--as I did--our duties as citizens, Mr. Ward, our duties as citizens, and our duties to the others in our employ--we must make examples for them."
"Yes. Well, it's different when your own boy is selected to afford the example," Ward said this with a touch of his humor, but became serious and sober again as he added:
"And I hope, Mr. Hunter, that this affair will never cause you the sorrow and regret--yes, the remorse--that that has caused me."
Hunter looked at Ward furtively, as if he could not understand how such things could cause any one regret. Out of this want of understanding, however, he could but repeat his former observation:
"But our duty, Mr. Ward. We must do our duty--heh--heh--as citizens, remember."