The Man in the Twilight

e. It was slim and white; and her finger nails displayed that care

lo!

er over the wire. Her deep, hazel eyes were soberly regarding the blotting pa

? Oh, yes. Some of the camps are in pretty bad shape, I'd say. Output's fallen badly. Output! Yes. All sorts of reasons and-" she laughed, "-to me, none quite satisfactory. I think

nt milestones in her career. In her youth, in the springtime energy abounding in her, she meant to pit her opinion against the considered policy of those who formed the management of the great

incessant. She would have missed it had it not been there. She would have lost that sense of rush which the tuneles

-like precision of life, their soulless method, their passionless progress towards the purpose of their

ent of those things which are counted as the governing factors of a woman's life. Certainly she knew and loved the Titian hue of her wealth of hair; her mirror was constantly telling her of the hazel depths of her wide, intelligent eyes, with their fringes of dark, curling, Celtic l

lliance and irresponsibility of her misguided father seemed to have been balanced and tempered by the gentle woman soul of

apid. The events which had suddenly been flung into her life at the interview seemed to have unloosed a hundred

as she had promised. She had studied it coldly, dispassionately. She had looked upon it as a mere document aimed to benefit her, without regard for her feelings for the man who had made it. She had thought over it at night when passion was less to be controlled.

ed, vegetable life, with no greater ambition than to marry and bear children. The simple prospect of marriage and motherhood could never s

al strength which the battle of life seemed to demand. But to her the world was wide, and big, and,

ir hearts. And the day on which the principal of the college notified her that the Skandinavia Corporation of Quebec had signified its willingness to absorb her int

cretary to the ruling power in the great offices of the Skandinavia Corporation? Had she not been taken out of the ranks of the many capable stenographers, and been given a private office, a doubled salary, and work to do which left her wide scope for the play of those gifts with wh

wood-pulp trade, and the world's market of the material she was interested in. She had saturated herself with the whole scheme, and purpose, and methods of her employers, till, as Peterman himself had once told her in admir

. Then she stood up and collected a number of papers into a small leat

a slim figured girl, with fair hair

n a tone of quiet but definite authority. "I shall be with Mr. Peterman.

g checked

send it up directly it's throu

metimes it approached severity. But she understood its nece

*

, not altogether wholesome fashion. He had just finished talking to Nancy McDonald, and he was thinking of the v

ng. But he added no word. The girl he had been speaking wit

ad. It was in the prominent, heavily, rounded chin, and the squareness of his lower jaw. Furthermore, the high, mathematical forehead was quite unmistakable. There was power

promptly descended on his paper. But he

Just sit right down while I finish this letter." Then he added gratuitously, "It's a rude letter to a feller I'v

de the desk which was usually assigned

d. "But I don't. It just makes me madder with folks, a

rman shoo

ll the time. That's how it is. You want to laff and see things happy all around you. Later you'll get so you see the other feller mostly thinks of himse

ng, smiling at h

She was used to him. But, for a moment, she contemplated the d

The cheque-book and the decorator's artist must have been responsible. This grossly Teutonic creature with his cynical, commercial mind, was something of an anachronism, and could never have inspired the perfect harmony of the palatial offi

letter. He enclosed and sealed

the Board, and we took a bunch of decisions that need handling right away. Tell me," he went on, an ironical light creeping into his smiling eyes, "you reck

t this girl. A cleverer man would have avoided it. But this man had no refinement of thou

he was confident of herself, and despite the manner of the ch

ossed her knees and leant fo

ay. Ordinarily that would just mean our light railways are extending farther, and a few cents more are added to our transport costs. Owing to our concentration of organisation that wouldn't signify. No. It's Nature, it's the forest itself turning us down. And the map, and the reports show that. The camps are right out on the plateau surrounding the valley, which is unprotected from winter storms. The close, luxurious growth

keen eyes. He had invited this girl's talk for the sake of hea

rts bear out

rp, and Nancy realis

ook he

And avoid the real cause which their writers are perfectly aware of." She shrugged her pretty shoulders. "You wouldn't expect it otherwise.

ow

irl's expre

the lumber sent down. It's a close calculation; but on the year it means a lot. I learned that from Mr. Osbert, at the mills on the Shagaunty. Well, so long as the booms are kept full, the camp bosses are satisfied. There's a limit below which the girth of logs may not go. They watch that limit, and are careful not to go below it. Well, our big output has been made up always, not by the minimum

t's

She felt glad. Her chief was serious. He was in deadly

largest. Well, these boys will have to be shaken out of their dream. We ought to

sponsive smile. H

it isn't, my

, her personality were quite f

ia stands head and shoulders above the world's groundwood industry. That's all right. That's fine," he went on, after a pause. "But like most easy trails, you're liable to keep on 'em longer than is good for you. We haven't had to worry a thing up to now. You see, we'd stifled competition, and we'd paid a steady thirty per cent dividend. Which left our Board in an unholy state of dope. I've tried to wake 'em. Oh, yes. I tried when that guy started up his outfit on Labrador. The Sachigo outfit. Then he seemed to fade away, and I couldn't rouse 'em again." He shook his hea

eyes remained steadily regard

s coming down in thousands of tons. And it's better groundwood than ours. If we change over we're going to leave the market short and these folk will get big contracts. You're right. We've been working

joy had passed in face

he trade," she said thoughtfully, "but I didn

s 'em to counter a doped Board. It's taken you five minutes to locate a trouble the Board's taken years to realise. And you've been talking one of the bunch of decisions we've taken. I mean quitting the Shagaunty. We didn

s chair. A hot light had suddenly leapt into his eyes, which left them shining unwholesomely. Nancy

do you mean?" she

nd his hand patted the rounded shoulder nearest him. It was a touch t

and the folk'll lay their 'hands' down for you to see. When you've seen it all you'll get right back here, and I'll set you before the Board to tell your story. I don't need to tell a brig

r. It was not the thing he said. It was the manner

re was real opportunity. She had dreamed of such. And she must take it. The touch of t

u. Will I go? Why, yes. Surely. And I'll make good for you. I believe it's the b

ly am. Still, there's next winter. Winter's not too bad with us. And a feller needs consolation in winter. There's theatres, and ice parties, and dances, and things. And I guess when the Board's fixed a bi

deeply her relief. But the interruption was by no means welcome to the man. And his irrita

Sure. Yes. Send him right up. Don't

nstrument and sat

e the

use. She understood Hellbeam was the great outstanding figure in the concern of the Skandinavia.

en I'm to start out. I'm ready when you like. I'll jus

e reports. You've told m

as it was violent. But it passed

e off now. I'll let you know

seized it with both hands. But the goodness of Elas Peterman to herself possessed none of that disinterested kindliness she had hitherto believed. Furthermore, there was dawning upon her that which her mirror should have told her long ago. She was beginning to understand that her work, her capacity, her appl

*

sed all the Teutonic capacity for self-abnegation in the presence of the power it is necessary to woo. There was only one master when the great financier

. Nature had denied him qualities for inspiring affectionate regard, or even respect. But she h

e straight to the

andinavia will buy the mill on Labrador. The Sachigo mill. I come on the night train, which is the worst thing I

led, but his powers of di

e said. "They hav

hair Nancy had so recently occupie

sent Skandinavia. I-I say t

ner calmly considering. Amazement was struggling with a desire t

people have grown slowly, but very deliberately. There's something very like genius in their management. And seemingly they possess unlimited capital or credit. I guess I kn

esty of appointment. His case was comparable in vulgarity with the size of his cigars. He thr

ot matter.

's eyes forbade further probing i

eful handling," v

eam s

andling alway

I was t

uy this Sachigo, yes. The price matters nothing. There is a reason. This fight. It is not th

hook h

ou see, it's kind of far away. Anyway, between them they're pretty-bright. I don't think they built the mill. I'm sure that's so.

ine of terms. I give you alternative terms. Big terms. He will go. He will talk. He will hear. Then we will later come to terms. All men wi

t now. We're changing our forest organisation right now, and that means temporary delays and drop in output. Sachigo's our worry whi

their widest extent. His heavy lips parted, and he sn

this thing? Y

he other's smile was more confident than might hav

'll get short shrift. If there's anyone to put through this deal for Skandinavia it's the woman I'm thinking of. And she'll put it through because she's the woman she is, and not because of any talents. Your pardon, sir, if I speak frankly. But from all I know of

ur of his countryman. The bulk of the

s woman. A good-looker, eh? She is ple

send for her, if you'll permit me. She's getting some reports for me. I'll ask her to bring them up. You can see her then, sir, and, if you'll f

an adipose mass, breathing heavily, and sucki

her," he s

the telephone

nt, Miss McDonald? Yes. Are they ready? Good.

*

represented many days and evenings of concentrated labour. It had been a labour not so much of love as of a

concentrated upon her. She saw only the tall figure of Peterman, standing waiting for her beyond his desk in su

. Her movements were beyond words in grace. Her tall figure, so beautifully proportioned, and so dai

holesome, good woman resents. But ultimately it was the girl's face and hair that held him. The rare beauty of the latter's colour sent a surge of appreciation running through his sensual

he papers, M

man whose eyes had none of the smiling welc

lanced down at the

all co

in tabloid form. You will be able to

discovered the banker beside the desk. In something of a

me after lunch?" h

that trip I explained to you. You

ly afte

y three

y we

the door he stood beside it, and opened it for her to pass out. He was hol

avily, while his eyes searched those

gazed at the beautiful

r possessed anything so

levelled at her devouringly. Quick as thought he turned to Elas

as prompt to

rs, Miss McDonald. If it isn't I guess yo

led from one

frank pleasure. "I'll keep it till w

r hand encountered the banker's. It was only for an instant, however. A moment later the d

el

allenging smile was directed at the heavily breathing

unpleasant laugh. His heavy cheeks were f

oung woman's eyes." He laughed again. "Oh, no, I think of the young woman. It not her capability is. See you look to your place