“I suppose you won’t want to sell the mill?” he asked.

“No,” said Foster.  “Business looks like booming and our chances are pretty good.”

Hulton made a sign of agreement.  “That’s so.  I reckon you could do a bigger trade than you have the money to handle.  However, I guess you and Featherstone mean to continue the partnership?”

“Yes,” said Foster, quietly, “we stick together.”

“Although he is going to marry a lady who will invest some money in the business?  If your friendship stands that test, it must be pretty sound.  But I’d better state why I sent for you.  Our trade is growing fast, and there’s a risk of our running short of half-worked material.  Well, if you won’t sell your mill, you must enlarge it on a scale that will enable you to keep us going, besides coping with your other orders.  I’m open to supply the capital, and have thought out a rough proposition.  Give him the paper, Percival.”

The treasurer did so, and Foster studied the terms with keen satisfaction.

“If there’s anything you don’t agree to, you can indicate it,” Hulton remarked.

Foster hesitated.   “It’s a very fair and liberal offer.   But I wouldn’t
like to take it, so to speak, as a reward.   You see, I didn’t------”

“Expect anything from me,” Hulton suggested with dry amusement.  “You were acting for Featherstone, but were willing to do me a favor!  Anyhow, you can regard the thing as a plain business proposition.  I get a number of advantages, besides good interest.”

“Then I’ll accept the main terms now, because I can promise for Featherstone,” Foster replied.  “If any alteration’s needed, we can talk about it afterwards.”

He left the office with a thrill of satisfaction.  With Hulton’s help, he and Lawrence could extend their operations and control a very profitable trade.  Featherstone had told him he must wait a year, but by this stroke of luck he had made good when only a month had gone.  Still, it was characteristic that he finished his day’s work before he went to the hotel where the others were staying.

Featherstone frankly expressed his pleasure at the news, and afterwards Foster and Alice went out and stopped at the bridge on the outskirts of the town.  There was a moon in the clear sky and the night was calm.  The snow was crisp, but patches of uncovered wood showed where it had melted off the bridge, and the southern slope of the river bank was nearly bare.  In the stream, fissured ice drifted down a wide, dark channel; one felt that spring was coming.

Behind the town, somber pines rolled back across the rocky wilderness; in the foreground, dazzling arc-lamps flung their blue reflections on the ice, and the lights of the Hulton factory ran far up in gleaming rows.  Civilization had reached the spot and stopped for a time.  The scene held harsh contrasts between man’s noisy activities and the silent austerity of the wilds.