If Esther MUST marry I'd like her to marry a man with a head
on him that I can take into business, and who will be willing
to live with the old man. This Lossing has got his notions
of making a sort of Highland chief affair of the labor question,
and we should get along about as well as the Kilkenny cats!"

Mrs. Ellis knew more than Esther about Armorer's business methods,
having the advantage of her husband's point of view; and Colonel Ellis
had kept the army standard of honor as well as the army ignorance
of business. To counterbalance, she knew more than anyone
alive what a good son and brother Horatio had always been.
But she could not restrain a smile at the picture of the partnership.

"Precisely, you see yourself," said Armorer. "Meg"--hesitating--
"you don't suppose it would be any use to offer Esther a cool
hundred thousand to promise to bounce this young fellow?"

"Horatio, NO!" cried Mrs. Ellis, tossing her pretty gray head indignantly;
"you'd insult her!"

"Take it the same way, eh? Well, perhaps; Essie has high-toned notions.
That's all right, it is the thing for women. Mother had them too.
Look here, Meg, I'll tell you, I want to see if this young fellow
has ANY sense! We have an ordinance that we want passed.
If he will get his council to pass it, that will show he can put
his grand theories into his pockets sometimes; and I will give
him a show with Esther. If he doesn't care enough for my girl
to oblige her father, even if he doesn't please a lot of carping
roosters that want the earth for their town and would like a
street railway to be run to accommodate them and lose money