Mr. Round motioned him to sit down again.
“It isn’t altogether on high moral grounds I’m deciding this way,” he said. “It’s because I don’t think a strike, starting from such a fool cause, will hurt us. I think it will help us. We need public sympathy and public confidence. The public has been weaned away from us by a lot of muck-rakers. Here’s a chance to get it back. And now, Ed,” he added, “you’ve got to make a grand-stand play.”
“All right,” agreed Mr. Schofield. “What is it?”
“You’ve got to bribe Nixon.”
“Bribe Nixon?”
“And show him up.”
A light broke over Mr. Schofield’s face.
“Oh!” he said. “I see.”
“You and I will talk it over,” said Mr. Round. “But it’s lunch time,” he added, looking at his watch. “Of course you’re coming with me.”
So the three went out to lunch together, and for a time forgot the cares of railroading. Only once was the road referred to.