“Oh,” replied Westgate, “she’s one of Barry’s discoveries in humble life.”
“Is she the one who lost the lawsuit?” inquired Ruth.
“The very one,” answered Westgate. “I shall not soon forget how you took me to task for my part in that case.”
“I did think,” responded Ruth, “that it was a shame to send her out of court empty-handed. And I think so still, begging Barry’s pardon for expressing myself so forcibly in his presence.”
“You can’t hurt my feelings, Ruth,” exclaimed Barry. “Phil did his duty. And I must say that the woman behaved very decently about it afterward.”
“So decently,” added Westgate, “that Barry went up the other day to make her a gift. Tell the ladies about that adventure, Barry.”
“Oh, I know all about it,” exclaimed Miss Chichester. “Barry told me about it the same evening.”
“But we don’t know,” said Ruth. “What happened, Barry?”
“Why,” replied Barry, “I went up, as Phil says, to make her a gift of a little money, four hundred dollars, to be exact. We usually make a gift to widows of our employees. And, would you believe me, the woman declined to accept it.”
“Remarkable!” exclaimed Mrs. Tracy.