The old Mill owner, in full accord with McIver, attempted to force John
into line. But the younger man refused to enlist in any class war
against his loyal fellow workmen.
Adam stormed and threatened and predicted utter ruin. John calmly
offered to resign. The father refused to listen to this, on the ground
that his ill health did not permit him to assume again the management
of the business, and that he would never consent to the Mill's being
operated by any one outside the family.
When Helen returned to her home in the early evening, she found her
father in a state of mind bordering on insanity.
Striding here and there about the rooms with uncontrollable nervous
energy, he roared, as he always did on such occasions, about his sole
ownership of the Mill--the legality of the patents that gave him
possession of the new process--how it was his genius and hard work
alone that had built up the Mill--that no one should take his
possessions from him--waving his arms and shaking his fists in violent,
meaningless gestures. With his face twitching and working and his eyes
blazing with excitement and rage, his voice rose almost to a scream:
"Let them try to take anything away from me! I know what they are going
to do, but they can't do it.
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