They returned to the office and when they were seated again, Mary said,
"What is it you wanted to say?"
"We wanted to talk to you about the strike. As we understand your principle, Miss Spencer, you regard it as unfair to bar a woman from any line of work which she may wish to follow—simply because she is a woman."
"That's it," she said.
"And for the same reason, of course, no man should be debarred from working, simply because he's a man."
They smiled at that.
"Such being the case," he continued, "I think we ought to be able to find some way of settling this strike to the satisfaction of both sides. Of course you know, Miss Spencer, that you have won the strike. But I think I can read character well enough to know that you will be as fair to the men as you wish them to be with the women."
"The strike was absolutely without authority from us," said one of the others. "The men will tell you that. It was a mistake. They will tell you that, too. Worse than a mistake, it was silly."
"However, that's ancient history now," said the third. "The present question is: How can we settle this matter to suit both sides?"
"Of course I can't discharge any of the women," said Mary thoughtfully, "and I don't think they want to leave—"
"They certainly don't look as if they did—"