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suggesting the fullness of her throat； it clung to the outline of her
shoulders。 Overcome by an impulse he could not control； he got up and went
toward her； but she avoided him。
〃I'll tell Mr。 Orcutt you've come；〃 she said； rather breathlessly； as she
reached the door and opened it。 Ditmar halted in his steps at the sight of the
tall； spectacled figure of the superintendent on the threshold。
Orcutt hesitated； looking from one to the other。
〃I've been waiting for you；〃 he said； after a moment； 〃the rest of that lot
didn't come in this morning。 I've telephoned to the freight agent。〃
Ditmar stared at him uncomprehendingly。 Orcutt repeated the information。
〃Oh well； keep after him； get him to trace them。〃
〃I'm doing that；〃 replied the conscientious Orcutt。
〃How's everything else going？〃 Ditmar demanded； with unlooked…for geniality。
〃You mustn't take things too hard； Orcutt； don't wear yourself out。〃
Mr。 Orcutt was relieved。 He had expected an outburst of the exasperation that
lately had characterized his superior。 They began to chat。 Janet had escaped。
〃Miss Bumpus told me you wanted to see me。 I was just going to ring you up；〃
Ditmar informed him。
〃She's a clever young woman； seems to take such an interest in things；〃 Orcutt
observed。 〃And she's always on the job。 Only yesterday I saw her going
through the mill with young Caldwell。〃
Ditmar dropped the paper…weight he held。
〃Oh； she went through； did she？〃
After Orcutt departed he sat for awhile whistling a tune； from a popular
musical play； keeping time by drumming with his fingers on the desk。
That Mr。 Semple； the mill treasurer； came down from Boston that morning to
confer with Ditmar was for Janet in the nature of a reprieve。 She sat by her
window； and as her fingers flew over the typewriter keys she was swept by
surges of heat in which ecstasy and shame and terror were strangely commingled。
A voice within her said； 〃This can't go on； this can't go on！ It's too
terrible！ Everyone in the office will notice itthere will be a scandal。 I
ought to go away while there is yet timeto…day。〃 Though the instinct of
flight was strong within her； she was filled with rebellion at the thought of
leaving when Adventure was flooding her drab world with light； even as the mill
across the waters was transfigured by the heavy golden wash of the autumn sun。
She had made at length the discovery that Adventure had to do with Man； was
inconceivable without him。
Racked by these conflicting impulses of self…preservation on the one hand and
what seemed self…realization on the other； she started when； toward the middle
of the afternoon； she heard Ditmar's voice summoning her to take his letters；
and went palpitating； leaving the door open behind her； seating herself on the
far side of the desk； her head bent over her book。 Her neck； where her hair
grew in wisps behind her ear； seemed to burn： Ditmar's glance was focussed
there。 Her hands were cold as she wrote。。。。 Then； like a deliverer； she saw
young Caldwell coming in from the outer office； holding a card in his hand
which he gave to Ditmar； who sat staring at it。
〃Siddons？〃 he said。 〃Who's Siddons？〃
Janet； who had risen； spoke up。
〃Why； he's been making the Hampton ‘survey。' You wrote him you'd see him
don't you remember； Mr。 Ditmar？〃
〃Don't go！〃 exclaimed Ditmar。 〃You can't tell what those confounded reformers
will accuse you of if you don't have a witness。〃
Janet sat down again。 The sharpness of Ditmar's tone was an exhilarating
reminder of the fact that； in dealing with strangers； he had come more or less
to rely on her instinctive judgment； while the implied appeal of his manner on
such occasions emphasized the pleasurable sense of his dependence； of her own
usefulness。 Besides； she had been curious about the ‘survey' at the time it
was first mentioned； she wished to hear Ditmar's views concerning it。 Mr。
Siddons proved to be a small and sallow young man with a pointed nose and
bright； bulbous brown eyes like a chipmunk's。 Indeed； he reminded one of a
chipmunk。 As he whisked himself in and seized Ditmar's hand he gave a confused
impression of polite self…effacement as well as of dignity and self…assertion；
he had the air of one who expects opposition； and though by no means desiring
it； is prepared to deal with it。 Janet smiled。 She had a sudden impulse to
drop the heavy book that lay on the corner of the desk to see if he would jump。
〃How do you do； Mr。 Ditmar？〃 he said。 〃I've been hoping to have this
pleasure。〃
〃My secretary； Miss Bumpus；〃 said Ditmar。
Mr。 Siddons quivered and bowed。 Ditmar； sinking ponderously into his chair；
seemed suddenly； ironically amused； grinning at Janet as he opened a drawer of
his desk and offered the visitor a cigar。
〃Thanks； I don't smoke；〃 said Mr。 Siddons。
Ditmar lit one for himself。
〃Now； what can I do for you？〃 he asked。
〃Well； as I wrote you in my letter； I was engaged to make as thorough an
examination as possible of the living conditions and housing of the operatives
in the city of Hampton。 I'm sure you'd be interested in hearing something of
the situation we found。〃
〃I suppose you've been through our mills；〃 said Ditmar。
〃No； the fact is〃
〃You ought to go through。 I think it might interest you；〃 Ditmar put a slight
emphasis on the pronoun。 〃We rather pride ourselves on making things
comfortable and healthy for our people。〃
〃I've no doubt of itin fact； I've been so informed。 It's because of your
concern for the welfare of your workers in the mills that I ventured to come
and talk to you of how most of them live when they're at home；〃 replied
Siddons； as Janet thought； rather neatly。 〃Perhaps； though living in Hampton；
you don't quite realize what the conditions are。 I know a man who has lived in
Boston ten years and who hasn't ever seen the Bunker Hill monument。〃
〃The Bunker Hill monument's a public affair；〃 retorted Ditmar； 〃anybody can go
there who has enough curiosity and interest。 But I don't see how you can
expect me to follow these people home and make them clean up their garbage and
wash their babies。 I shouldn't want anybody to interfere with my private
affairs。〃
〃But when you get to a point where private affairs become a public menace？〃
Siddons objected。 〃Mr。 Ditmar； I've seen block after block of tenements ready
to crumble。 There are no provisions for foundations； thickness of walls； size
of timbers and columns； and if these houses had been deliberately erected to
make a bonfire they couldn't have answered the purpose better。 If it were not
for the danger to life and the pity of making thousands of families homeless； a
conflagration would be a blessing； although I believe the entire north or south
side of the city would go under certain conditions。 The best thing you could
do would be to burn whole rows of these tenements； they are ideal breeding
grounds for disease。 In the older sections of the city you've got hundreds of
rear houses here； houses moved back on the lots； in some extreme cases with
only four…foot courts littered with refuse；houses without light； without
ventilation； and many of the rooms where these people are cooking and eating
and sleeping are so damp and foul they're not fit to put dogs in。 You've got
some blocks with a density of over five hundred to the acre； and your average
density is considerably over a hundred。〃
〃Are things any worse than in any other manufacturing city？〃 asked Ditmar。
〃That isn't the point；〃 said Siddons。 〃The point is that they're bad； they're
dangerous； they're inhuman。 If you could go into these tenements as I have
done and see the way some of these people live； it would make you sick the
Poles and Lithuanians and Italians especially。 You wouldn't treat cattle that
way。 In some households of five rooms； including the kitchen； I found as many
as fourteen； fifteen； and once seventeen people living。 You've got an alarming
infant death…rate。〃
〃Isn't it because these people want to live that way？〃 Ditmar inquired。 〃They
actually like it； they wouldn't be happy in anything but a pig…stythey had
'em in Europe。 And what do you expect us to do？ Buy land and build flats for
them？ Inside of a month they'd have all the woodwork stripped off for
kindling； the drainage stopped up； the bathtubs filled with ashes。 I know；
because it's been tried。〃
Tilted back in his chair； he blew a cloud of smoke toward the ceiling； and his
eyes sought Janet's。 She avoided them； resenting a little the assumption of
approval she read in them。 Her mind； sensitive to new ideas； had been keenly
stimulated as she listened to Siddons； who began patiently to dwell once more
on the ill effect of the conditions he had discovered on the welfare of the
entire community。 She had never thought of this。 She was surprised that
Ditmar should seem to belittle it。 Siddons was a new type in her experience。
She could understand and to a certain extent maliciously enjoy Ditmar's growing
exasperation with him； he had a formal； precise manner of talking； as though he
spent most of his time presenting cases in committees： and in warding off
Ditmar's objection