explanation. "What? Johnson wants to know where to get the new
housing to replace the one that broke yesterday? Tell Johnson
that's what I pay him to decide. I have no time to do his
business for him--my own is all I can attend to! Mr. Ferguson!"
she called out, as she came banging back into the private office,
"what about that ore that came in yesterday?" She sat down at her
desk and listened intently to a somewhat intricate statement
involving manufacturing matters dependent upon the quality of
certain shipments of ore. Then, abruptly she gave her orders.

Robert Ferguson, making notes as rapidly as he could, smiled with
satisfaction at the power of it all. It was as ruthless and as
admirable as a force of nature. She would not pause, this woman,
for flesh and blood; she was as impersonal as one of her own
great shears that would bite off a "bloom" or a man's head with
equal precision, and in doing so would be fulfilling the law of
its being. Assuredly she would stop Blair's puppy-love in short
order!

Business over, Sarah Maitland leaned back in her chair and
laughed. "Did you hear me blowing Dale up? I guess he'll stay put
for a while now! But I'm afraid I was angry," she confessed
sheepishly; "and there is nothing on earth so foolish as to be
angry at a fool."

"There is nothing on earth so irritating as a fool," he said.

"Yes, but it's absurd to waste your temper on 'em. I always say
to myself, 'Sarah Maitland, if he had your brains, he'd have your
job.' That generally keeps me cool; but I'm afraid I shall never