"HILDA!"
"That's just what it is. Ruth is just as nice as she is or anybody else. She ought to be glad she's getting a daughter like Ruth. You'd be….And we can't sit by and see Bon and his wife STARVE, can we? We can't fold our hands and let Mrs. Foote make Ruth unhappy. It's cruel, that's what it is, and nothing else. When Ruth is Bon's wife she has the right to be treated as his wife should be. Mrs. Foote has no business trying to humiliate her and Bon—and she sha'n't."
"I suppose you're right, dear. I KNOW you're right…. But I'm thinking how I'd feel if it were YOU."
"You'd never feel like Mrs. Foote, mother. If I made up my mind to marry a man out of dad's office—no matter what his job was, if he was all right himself—you wouldn't throw me out of the house and set out to make him and me as unhappy as you could. You aren't a snob."
"No," said Mrs. Lightener, "I shouldn't."
Malcolm Lightener, interrupted. "Now you've both had your say," he said, "and you seem to have decided the thing between you. I felt kind of that way, myself, but I wanted to know about you folks. What you say GOES….Now clear out; I want to talk business to Bonbright."
Hilda gave Bonbright her hand again. "I'm glad," she said, simply. "I know you'll be very happy."
"And I'll do what I can, boy," said Mrs. Lightener
Bonbright was moved as he had never been moved before by kindliness and womanliness. "Thank you…. Thank you," he said, tremulously. "I—you don't know what this means to me. You've—you've put a new face on the whole future…."
"Clear out," said Malcolm Lightener.