“Boycott, eh? I call that pretty rotten,” said Adrien.
“The majority were pretty much for it, however, except Maitland and my governor, they protesting that this boycott was hardly playing the game. Your friend Captain Jack came in for his licks,” continued Vic, turning to Patricia. “It appears he has been employing strikers in some work or other, which some of the brethren considered to be not according to Hoyle.”
“Nonsense!” cried Patricia indignantly. “Jack took me yesterday to see the work. He showed me all the plans and we went over the grounds. It is a most splendid thing, Mamma! He is laying out athletic grounds for his men, with a club house and all that sort of thing. They are going to be perfectly splendid! Do you mean to say they were blaming him for this? Who was?” And Patricia stood ready for battle.
“Kamerad!” cried Vic, holding up his hands. “Not me! However, Jack was exonerated, for it appears he sent them a letter two weeks ago, telling them what he proposed to do, to which letter they had raised no objection.”
“Well, what then?” inquired Patricia.
“Oh, the usual thing. They all resolved to stand pat—no surrender—or, rather, let the whole line advance—you know the stuff—when into this warlike atmosphere walked the deputation from the Ministerial Association. It gave the E. D. C. a slight shock, so my Dad says. The Doctor fired the first gun. My governor says that it was like a breath from another world. His face was enough. Everybody felt mean for just being what they were. I know exactly what that is, for I know the way he makes me feel when I look at him in church. You know what I mean, Pat.”
“I know,” said Patricia softly, letting her hand fall upon her mother's shoulder.
“Well,” continued Vic, “the Doctor just talked to them as if they were his children. They hadn't been very good and he was sorry for them. He would like to help them to be better. The other side, too, had been doing wrong, and they were having a bad time. They were suffering, and as he went on to tell them in that wonderful voice of his about the women and children, every man in the room, so the governor said, was wondering how much he had in his pocket. And then he told them of how wicked it was for men whose sons had died together in France to be fighting each other here in Canada. Well, you know my governor. As he told me this tale, we just both of us bowed our heads and wept. It's the truth, so help me, just as you are doing now, Pat.”
“I am not,” cried Patricia indignantly. “And I don't care if I am. He is a dear and those men are just—”
“Hush, dear,” said Mrs. Templeton gently. “And did they agree to anything?”