“Let us get to work at once and do our duty. I see you do not need urging. My friends, if such a man as this, a prince among men, can come out of the slums, then the slums are surely worth redeeming.” The audience thundered and clamored and thundered again; women sobbed openly, while the ushers hurried about collecting the eager offerings of the people, for Michael had won the day and everybody was ready to give. It sort of helped to get the burden of such a state of things off their consciences. Starr had sat through the whole speech with glowing cheeks and lashes wet. Her heart throbbed with wonder and a kind of personal pride in Michael. Somehow all the years that had passed between seemed to have dropped away and she saw before her the boy who had told her of the Florida sunset, and filled her with childish admiration over his beautiful thoughts. His story appealed to her. The lives of the little ones about whom he had been telling were like his poor neglected existence before her father took him up; the little lonely life that had been freely offered to save her own. She forgot now all that had passed between, her anger at his not coming to ride; and after her return from abroad, not coming to call; nor accepting her invitations; her rage at his interference in her affairs. Her persistence in her own folly seemed now unspeakable. She was ashamed of herself. The tears were streaming down her cheeks, but of this she was quite unaware. When the speeches were over and the uproar of applause had somewhat subsided, Starr turned to her father her face aglow, her lashes still dewy with tears. Her father had been silent and absorbed. His face was inscrutable now. He had a way of masking his emotions even to those who knew him best. “Daddy, dear,” whispered Starr, “couldn’t we buy that tenement and build it over? I should so love to give those little children happy homes.” Endicott turned and looked at his treasured child, her lovely face all eagerness now. She had infinite faith in her father’s ability to purchase anything she wanted. The father himself had been deeply stirred. He looked at her searchingly at first; then yearningly, tenderly, but his voice was almost gruff as he said: “H’m! I’ll see about it!” “Couldn’t you let Michael know now, daddy? I think it would be such a help to him to know that his speech has done some good.” The voice was very sweet and appealing. “Couldn’t you send him word by one of the ushers?” “H’m! I suppose I could.” Endicott took out his fountain pen and a business card, and began to write. “You don’t suppose, daddy, that the owner will object to selling? There won’t be any trouble about it that way, will there?” “No, I don’t think there’ll be any trouble.” Endicott slipped the card into an envelope he found in his pocket and calling an usher asked him to take it to the platform to Michael. What he had written was this: