Pearl Gardner did not see Golter when he entered the room, but was soon conscious of his presence. (Lately she was constantly conscious of his presence if he was anywhere around.) She looked up from her work and gave him one of her sweetest smiles. "Good morning, Mr. Golter."
"Good morning, Miss Gardner," he responded.
She was at once interested in the bouquet which he carried. Surely, she thought, he intends those rosebuds for me. I do not see why he doesn't give them to me at once. He placed the roses on his own desk. Perhaps, she thought, he is waiting until we are alone to give them to me. A number of times both the teller and cashier had stepped out, but the roses still remained on Golter's desk. When Pearl returned to work after the noon lunch they were gone. Later in the day she located them on Ruth's desk. During the rest of the afternoon things did not go well with her—she got her figures muddled and had to work an hour overtime that evening to get her books to balance. Before leaving the bank she stepped into the office of the president.
"Mr. Stover," she began, "I have a matter I wish to speak to you about, that is, I feel that it is my duty to speak to you about it. I don't like to tattle on anyone, but there are some things that are of such importance to your employer that I think it is one's duty to tell, even though it exposes a fellow employee."
"Certainly, Miss Pearl, certainly. If you are in possession of any information that your employer should have it is your duty to inform him. What is it?"
"Did you know that you have an employee who is a Klan sympathizer?"
"I did not. Who is it?"
"Ruth Babcock."
"Is that so! What does Ruth say about it?"
"She has a lot to say in favor of the Klan. She makes a regular lecture on white supremacy. She's strong for the Kluxers."
"Thank you, Pearl. I'll take care of Miss Babcock. No one can work in this bank and talk in favor of that bunch of outlaws."
Pearl started to leave the room and then turned back. "Mr. Stover, I wish that you would not mention my name in connection with this."
"No. I'll not say anything about where I got my information."
When Stover entered the bank room after this information had been imparted to him he found his nephew, Chester Golter, preparing to leave.
"Just a minute, Chester, before you go. I wish to speak to you."
"All right, Uncle Jim."
"I just heard that Ruth Babcock is talking in favor of the Klan. Have you ever heard her say anything that would indicate that she is a Klan supporter?"
"Yes. I have. I heard her say that if she were a man she would be a Klansman."
"Did she say that?"
"She certainly did."
"You know that I informed the men of this bank long ago that I would not retain in my employ any man who joined the Klan. Now, I will not retain a man or woman in my employ who talks in favor of the Klan or lends his influence to it in any way. Ruth will have the pleasure of looking for another job."
"Uncle Jim, I don't believe that Ruth is to blame so much as is someone else."
"Who?"
"Harold King."
"What has King to do with it?"
"Ruth runs around a great deal with King, and you know that he is a Klansman."
"Yes, and I know that he is an impudent puppy, too."
"I am satisfied that Ruth is influenced by King. If she would quit associating with King I believe she would be all right."
"I'll fix King. I have just been waiting for a chance to land on that young upstart."
"I wouldn't like to see Ruth lose her job," Golter remarked.
"I'll give her a chance."
"Thank you, uncle."
Ruth had scarcely removed her wraps the next morning when Stover called her into his office.
"Ruth," he began, "I have tried to be a friend to you."
"Yes, I think you have, Mr. Stover."
"I wouldn't give you wrong advice any sooner than I would my own daughter, and what I shall say to you now is for your own good." He spoke in his most paternal voice.
"I am always glad to receive good advice."
"I thought you would be or I would have dismissed you without saying a word." (Ruth's eyes opened wide and the color left her cheeks.) "I thought you would be sensible." He laid his hand in a fatherly way on her shoulder. She shrank from his touch.
"I have heard that you are talking in favor of the Klan?"
"I have said some things in favor of the Klan."
"And you know that I am unalterably opposed to these midnight riders."
"I know you are opposed to the Klan."
"And yet you talk in their favor?"
"If I want to I do. This is a free country, and I, with the Klan, believe in the freedom of speech." She spoke with spirit.
Matters were taking a turn that he had not anticipated. "Of course, of course you have a right to say what you please about this matter, but you understand that I have a right to employ whom I please."
"Certainly, and if you do not want me in your employ I am ready to quit."
"Now be reasonable, Ruth. You know that I am an old friend of your father and want to do the right thing by you. At the same time I do not want to injure my business. You see that I have a great many customers who are opposed to the Klan. If you are talking in the bank in support of the Klan you are liable to injure the bank's business."
"I don't think I have been discussing the Klan in the bank. The only thing that I remember saying here was in a conversation with Pearl Gardner, in which I was telling her of an article that I read and indorsed that explained the Klan's position on the race question. If you do not want this question discussed in the bank I agree not to do so, but I reserve the right to discuss this question or any other when off duty and hold to whatever opinion I please."
"I grant that you have that right, but it would be good policy for you to refrain from saying anything commendable of the Klan any place. You see I'm interested in you, Ruth. Now there is a more serious matter that it is my duty to speak to you of. I understand that you keep company with Harold King."
"Yes. Mr. King is a friend of mine."
"As I said to you a moment ago, I am going to advise you as I would my own daughter. You can't afford to receive attention from a man like King."
Ruth was dumbfounded. For an instant she sat and stared at Stover. When she had partially recovered herself she asked, "What do you mean? What is wrong with Mr. King?"
"Well, he is a young man of poor judgment. He has a habit of being insolent to men who are his superiors and who are in a position to help him and who would help him if he had sense enough to be courteous to them. (Stover was now rubbing his hands together.) King has no standing in the community. I wouldn't loan him a dollar. He has also branded himself by joining the Klan. Now I wouldn't think of allowing one of my own daughters to associate with King. If you retain your position in the bank it will be necessary for you to discontinue your relationship with this man."
"Do I understand that I must quit going with Mr. King or give up my position in the bank?"
"Yes, that's it. I am acting for your good. If I wasn't an old friend of the family I wouldn't give you this chance. I have always dismissed my employees at once when I discovered that they were keeping bad company."
"Right here is where I quit," she said, her eyes flashing.
"Now, Ruth, don't be foolish. You have your father to think of." She stood before him a type of noble womanhood. Her chest raised, her little hands clenched and thrown down and back of her body line, she looked Stover in the eyes and defied him.
When she spoke her voice was full of resentment and determination, and her words were words of courage and loyalty:
"I will take care of my father who, I am sure, would not want to have me stay here on the terms that you have named. As to Harold King—I wish to inform you that he is a gentleman of noble mind and heart. He refused to sell his honor to you, and you, whom I am now beginning to think have no honor, call him insolent. You say he has no credit with you, and I tell you he has a twelve thousand dollar job and needs none. You say he is branded as a Klansman. If he is a Klansman that is evidence that the organization is composed of good citizens, for Harold King would not belong to an organization that was not." She stepped into the stenographer's office and secured her coat and hat, and without waiting to put them on, walked out with her head held high.
Ruth spent the rest of the day trying to find employment but was unsuccessful. It was a difficult thing for Ruth to inform her father that she was out of employment. He was worried, as she knew he would be, and she did her best to comfort him. "Don't worry, daddy; I'll soon find other employment."
"I'm not worrying on my own account, but I am sorry, Ruth, to have you worried about getting a job. If I had the money that man took from my safe we wouldn't need to worry, or if my head would only get right so that I could work I wouldn't care so much about the loss of the money."
When Ruth saw Harold she told him that Stover had discharged her or, rather, had asked her to consent to terms which she could not accept, if she remained. She told him that Stover objected to some remarks she had made favorable to the Klan. She did not tell him that Stover had demanded that she break off her associations with him.