But when he had been laid away in the new cemetery on Shepard Hill, the smouldering embers of discord began again to break forth into hot flames of prejudice and passion.
Geoffrey Burnham and John Villard were consulting together in the mill office the day after the funeral, when the door opened and the owner of the mills walked in.
“I have come,” she said, in answer to their ill-concealed surprise, “to talk over the situation of the strike. I want the mills re-opened.”
“We shall be only too happy to comply with your wishes, Miss Shepard,” said Burnham, placing a chair in a comfortable light for her. “Upon what terms do you propose it?”
“I want to compromise,” she answered, “and give them a better chance than they have ever had. It may take us some time to decide on the exact terms. Would it be better, do you think,”—she unconsciously turned to Villard—“to take them back on the old terms, re-instate them precisely as they were, and then go on and make our changes?”
“That would hardly do,” he replied. “Experience has proved them very jealous of new methods, and unwilling to consent to untried theories. If we yield everything they demand now, we shall establish a bad precedent; eh, Burnham?”
“Decidedly, and we shall meet with opposition if we undertake any changes. If there is to be a remodeling of the old system, it had better come now.”
“There must be a remodeling, it seems to me,” urged Salome. “Dear Mr. Greenough acted wisely, so far as he could, no doubt; but I feel that the time is come to make decided changes here. Perhaps I am not very clear in regard to them, even in my own mind. But I have some idea of what I want, and I shall be glad to have you both state your convictions and objections, if you have them, relating to everything I propose.”
“It will be no light matter,” said Burnham, “to select a plan and perfect it at once. It must be a work of time and much thought. Still, what is your idea?”
“I want to put the relations between us and the employes,” Salome went on, “on a better footing—an ethical basis, if you like the term. We must combine the question ‘Will it pay?’ with a higher one, ‘Is it right?’”