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Chapter 7—Delivering Bad-News Messages
TRUE/FALSE
1. In some circumstances, sharing bad news via email rather than face-to-face is justified.
ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

REF: p. 109 OBJ: LO: 7-1 NAT: BUSPROG: Communication
STA: DISC: Audience KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge
2. By placing bad news in the first paragraph, receiver support is more likely than when it is presented
after giving reasons.
ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

3. Since the main message of a negative-news message is the bad news, more space should be devoted to
the refusal than to the explanations for the refusal.

STA: DISC: Patterns KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge
4. In some circumstances, placing a refusal in the first sentence is justified.

5. “I have received and read your letter of April 12” is an effective neutral way to begin the first
paragraph of a bad-news message.

STA: DISC: Patterns KEY: Bloom's: Comprehension
6. The best reason to give the receiver for a refusal is “company policy” because it requires no further
explanation.

STA: DISC: Audience KEY: Bloom's: Comprehension
7. Usually, a statement of bad news should be followed by a logical explanation.

© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
7-1
8. Offering a counterproposal may eliminate the need to state the refusal directly.

9. Providing an alternative or counterproposal to a refusal for a request should be avoided since it would
only heighten audience frustration over the bad news.
ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate

10. “We apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused you” is a recommended way to close a
refusal letter.

11. Using passive voice and complex sentences are effective ways to de-emphasize bad news.

STA: DISC: Rhetorical Considerations KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge
12. To minimize disappointment and maintain a positive relationship, the inductive strategy is the best
way to organize messages that refuse requests.

13. Because of the legal implications involved in refusing credit, you should avoid telling applicants the
specific reason(s) why you must deny them credit.

REF: p. 120 OBJ: LO: 7-4 NAT: BUSPROG: Ethics
STA: DISC: Codes KEY: Bloom's: Comprehension
14. In a credit refusal message, your main purpose is to tactfully say “no” since the recipient is a poor
credit risk and not a potential customer.

STA: DISC: Purpose KEY: Bloom's: Comprehension
7-2
15. The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives consumers specific rights and protections when they apply for and
are denied credit.

16. Communicating constructive criticism about service received can be thought of as an ethical
responsibility.

17. Delivering constructive criticism can be beneficial by alerting management that changes need to be
made.

18. When communicating negative organizational news, it is advisable to tone down the news to minimize
its severity.

19. Email is typically the most effective channel for communicating negative organizational news.

MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following is FALSE concerning personal delivery of bad news?

a. Personal delivery of the bad news signals the importance of the news.
b. Personal delivery eliminates any potential escalation of emotion.
c. Personal delivery shows empathy for the recipient.
d. Personal delivery provides the benefits of nonverbal cues.
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy
7-3
2. If bad news appears in the first sentence of a message, the
a. receiver will be prepared for the reasoning that follows.
b. receiver’s urge to counter argue will be minimized.
c. receiver’s reaction is likely to be defensive.
d. receiver will withhold judgment until he or she has finished reading.
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy
3. What is the correct order for the inductive writing sequence?

a. Buffer, reasons, bad news, counterproposal, and desire to continue the relationship
b. Reasons, neutral idea, bad news, and desire to continue the relationship
c. Bad news, reasons, counterproposal, and desire to continue the relationship
d. Buffer, bad news, reasons, counterproposal, and desire to continue the relationship
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy
4. Exceptions to the use of inductive approach for bad-news messages include

a. messages addressing a very small, insignificant matter.
b. memos sent within the company.
c. oral presentations.
d. all of the above
5. An effective opening for a bad-news message

a. notes the date of the message being answered.
b. expresses gratitude for the time the receiver took to write.
c. provides an immediate answer to the receiver’s request.
d. makes a neutral comment related to the main idea.
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
6. Which of the following are FALSE when writing bad-news messages?

a. The writer should focus on the good rather than the bad.
b. The writer should present the negative ideas in positive terms when possible.
c. The writer should state what can be done rather than what cannot be done.
d. The writer should state the bad news early and reinforce it throughout the message.
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy
7-4
7. Which of the following is NOT a technique for writing a bad-news message?
a. Use positive language to accentuate the positive.
b. Use the deductive writing approach.
c. Sandwich the bad news between the buffer and positive closing.
d. Use passive voice, general terms, and abstract nouns.
STA: DISC: Purpose KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge
8. Greg Komuro often delivers messages to clients in which he must convey negative ideas. Which of the
following techniques could Greg use to subordinate bad news?
a. Passive voice and abstract nouns as the subjects of sentences
b. Passive voice and the placement of the negative message in an independent clause
c. Active voice and positive language
d. Active voice and placement of the negative message in the dependent clause
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
STA: DISC: Rhetorical Considerations KEY: Bloom's: Comprehension
9. Your employer asked you to compose a message to be sent to all job applicants who were not selected
for a sales representative position. You should
a. tell the applicant at the beginning that another candidate was chosen.
b. ask the applicant to consider why he or she was not selected.
c. place the “not selected” message in the dependent clause of a complex sentence describing
the stiff competition for this job.
d. imply that someone else has been selected for the position, thus avoiding the
uncomfortable job of rejecting someone.
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
STA: DISC: Purpose KEY: Bloom's: Application
10. A counterproposal
a. is unnecessary if you have stated your refusal tactfully.
b. weakens your refusal by implying that you are not able to enforce your decision.
c. is an alternative to the action requested that helps preserve your future relationship with
the receiver.
d. should precede the refusal.
11. An effective counterproposal

a. can eliminate the need to state the refusal directly.
b. may represent a tangible benefit to the reader.
c. may not always be possible.
d. All of the above.
7-5
12. Which of the following is the BEST negative reply to a request for a favor?
a. Thank you for asking me to speak at your meeting, but I will not be able to attend.
b. Because I have a previous engagement in Phoenix, I cannot demonstrate my machine at
your conference.
c. Although I have multiple obligations for the date you suggested, I fully support your effort
to raise funds for the homeless.
d. I find my schedule is as impossible as ever; I must be doing something wrong with my
priorities.
STA: DISC: Audience KEY: Bloom's: Application
13. Which of the following is NOT recommended within the final sentence of a bad-news message?
a. Tactful restatement of the refusal
b. Sales promotional material
c. Some future aspect of the business relationship
d. An expression of willingness to assist in some other way
14. Which sentence is a good example of a buffer for a bad news message?
a. Your letter dated April 14 has been referred to me for reply.
b. I can understand how you felt when you had to pay $168.
c. Your credit application was reviewed by two loan officers.
d. Your claim has been denied, but let us explain why.
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
15. Which of the following would be the BEST closing sentence in a bad-news message?
a. We understand your disappointment in this decision.
b. Please do not hesitate to contact us again if you have any further questions.
c. To see the video that discusses our two newest investment offers, just phone us at 555-
1616 to request your copy.
d. We trust you will continue to rely on Carson products in spite of this present difficult
situation.
7-6
16. Which of the following is the BEST suggestion to follow when refusing a request?
a. Use the inductive approach.
b. Provide a vague reason to minimize the receiver’s disappointment.
c. Use the direct approach.
d. Follow the bad news with adequate reasons.
17. Jawon is a training and development manager who has been asked by a professor to speak to her class
about careers in training. However, since he is currently conducting an important staff development
program, his schedule is very busy, and he must refuse the request. What would be the BEST way to
end his message?
a. Again, I am very flattered by your request.
b. I apologize that I am so busy right now. Maybe next semester I can speak to your class.
c. I’ll call you if I have some time in the next month.
d. My training assistant, David, has extensive experience and would enjoy speaking to your
class. Please feel free to call him at 469-8000.
18. Delnisha, a customer service representative for the manufacturer of Marathon brand faucets, receives a
large order from a small contractor. Which of the following is the BEST way for Delnisha to begin a
message saying the company does not sell directly to end users?
a. This letter informs you that we unfortunately do not sell faucets directly to contractors.
b. I have referred your order to a distributor near you.
c. Thank you very much for your order. Unfortunately, we will not be able to fill it.
d. Our patenting coating process makes Marathon faucets the contractor’s choice.
REF: p. 118-119 OBJ: LO: 7-4 NAT: BUSPROG: Communication
19. Melody is responding negatively to a request for a claim. Which of the following would she NOT do
in composing her message to the customer?
a. Begin the message with a neutral, dependent clause, followed by a statement implying the
refusal.
b. Include sales promotional and resale material in the last paragraph.
c. Offer an alternative service as a gesture of goodwill.
d. Present the reasoning behind her decision without using emotional wording.
STA: DISC: Patterns KEY: Bloom's: Application
20. You must deny a request for credit to an applicant who does not meet your company’s requirements.
Using a sentence such as “You are encouraged to make cash purchases” illustrates a
a. counterproposal.
b. bait and switch technique.
c. confirmation of priorities.
d. consideration of eligibility.
7-7
REF: p. 114-120 OBJ: LO: 7-2 NAT: BUSPROG: Communication
STA: DISC: Patterns KEY: Bloom's: Application
21. Messages denying credit are different from other types of bad-news messages in that they
a. are subject to more legal issues.
b. do not need to maintain the goodwill of the recipient.
c. do not have to include reasons for refusal.
d. use the deductive pattern of organization.
22. To avoid litigation, some credit-granting companies

a. choose not to respond to customer requests for credit.
b. choose to omit from their letters the explanation for credit denial.
c. make the name and address of the credit bureau inaccessible to the consumer.
d. refuse credit by phone rather than in writing.
23. When writing a message offering constructive criticism, one’s primary consideration should be
a. identifying who made the error.
b. offering input that could benefit many.
c. getting even for the mistake that was made.
d. none of the above.
24. Your department hired a strategic planning consultant to restructure the workforce. However, you
believe that the consultant added no value to the company and simply played back what you wanted to
hear. You must write a letter to the president of the consulting company to discuss your dissatisfaction.
Which of the following is the BEST approach to your letter?
a. Start with some facts about what the consultant was supposed to do. Enumerate what was
done incorrectly. End with a pleasant message expressing your appreciation.
b. Start with a statement about your dissatisfaction with the consultant. Continue with a list
of things that the consultant did incorrectly. End with a direct statement about how
worthless the consultant was.
c. Start with some good things that the consultant did. Accentuate the positive and avoid as
much negative information as possible. End pleasantly, saying that you hope you can do
business again in the future.
d. Start with some facts about what the consultant was supposed to do. Mention what the
consultant did well, but also be clear about what the consultant did not do well. End with a
pleasant message expressing the hope that the information you provided will assist the
consulting company.
7-8
25. Although communicating negative organizational news can be challenging, such messages can have a
positive effect in
a. showing management’s display of respect for employees.
b. providing an opportunity for management to build unity and trust.
c. allowing employees to pose questions to management.
d. All of the above.
26. Which of the following is NOT an effective strategy for companies that want to provide strong internal
communication?
a. Promote open exchange of honest, candid communication.
b. Use a variety of communication channels to encourage two-way communication.
c. Limit the questions employees may ask management.
d. Keep employees informed of both good and bad news.
27. Which of the following is FALSE concerning the communication of negative news within an
organization?
a. Employee morale, like customer goodwill, is fragile and easily damaged.
b. Sensitive handling of bad news related to the organization can help build unity and trust.
c. Delivering bad news as soon as possible minimizes damage resulting from rumors and
shows respect for employees.
d. The most effective approach is to use one strong communication method for
communicating with employees.
28. A company plans to downsize over the next year. Which of the following would be the BEST way to
prepare employees for this negative announcement?
a. Send an email to employees the first day that employees are scheduled for layoff.
b. Send a letter to laid off employees at their home address instructing them not to report for
work to avoid emotional confrontations.
c. Use the company’s internal communications (newsletters and intranet) to make employees
aware of the downsizing before it happens.
d. Call a staff meeting at the end of the day on the Friday before layoffs begin to make the
negative announcement.
7-9
SHORT ANSWER
1.
List and explain three stylistic aspects of writing a bad-news statement.
ANS:
• Emphasize the positive and de-emphasize the negative. Use the inductive
approach for bad news messages; subordinate the negative aspect of the
message and emphasize the positive aspect.
• Use positive language to accentuate the positive and de-emphasize the negative.
Carefully select words that do not offend or blame to make the tone of the
message more positive.
• Imply the refusal when the receiver can understand the message without a
definite statement of the bad news. Rather than stating a blunt refusal, use
words that imply the refusal as long as the message of the refusal remains clear
to the recipient.
PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy REF: p. 114

OBJ: LO: 7-2 NAT: BUSPROG: Communication
STA: DISC: Rhetorical Considerations KEY: Bloom's: Knowledge
2. Explain how a counterproposal may be used to preserve a positive relationship when denying a request
or when delivering bad news.
ANS:
By proposing an alternative to the action requested, the communicator denies the request while
ensuring that the relationship will not suffer as a result. The counterproposal is an expression of
goodwill, a willingness to help the receiver. In a letter denying credit, for instance, a counterproposal
can let the customer know that you still value his or her business and that, as soon as credit history is
established or improved, the customer may reapply for credit.
PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Challenging REF: p. 114

OBJ: LO: 7-2 NAT: BUSPROG: Communication STA: DISC: Audience
KEY: Bloom's: Synthesis
3. Discuss the implications behind the statement that “the customer is always right” in light of the fact
that a company must at times deny a customer’s request.
ANS:
The “customer is always right” philosophy has been readily accepted since a company wants to satisfy
its customers and clients. Companies are in business because of consumers and clients continuing to
buy their products and services. But a company would not be in business long if it continued to honor
claims in which the customer is clearly wrong. The customer has a right to make a claim, but it is the
company representative who has to decide the basis of the claim and to make a fair decision.
Additionally, a company has to share negative organizational news from time to time, but keeping
employees informed about the company performance is another way to assure the workers that the
company is doing the right thing in preparing them first for any major change in its operations or staff
reduction. Doing this shows sensitivity and care for the employees and provides an opportunity to
build employee trust and loyalty.
7-10
PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Challenging REF: p. 115-116
OBJ: LO: 7-3 | LO: 7-4 NAT: BUSPROG: Communication
STA: DISC: Audience KEY: Bloom's: Analysis
4. You recently hired a catering service for an important awards ceremony for the members of your
organization. Some of the menu choices were poorly prepared and the service was slow. You were
dissatisfied with the service and would like to send a message to the owner of the catering business.
How would this owner benefit from your constructive criticism? What tone should the message have?
ANS:
The owner of the catering business can benefit from your constructive criticism and correct the
problems to avoid losing future business. The owner can try to determine the reason for the poor food
quality and make changes to the menu and preparation of food. Problems with the actual service can
be improved with additional training or hiring new, better qualified employees. Rather than loose
future business, the owner can benefit from your comments and improve the quality and reputation of
the catering company.
PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate REF: p. 122

KEY: Bloom's: Application
5. You have just completed a week-long stay at a hotel/resort that hosted your company's national sales
meeting. You were dissatisfied overall with the hotel's service and would like to send a message to the
management of the hotel. How would the hotel benefit from your constructive criticism? What tone
should the message have?
ANS:
Any company dealing directly with customers should value constructive criticism from customers;
most customers would avoid utilizing the service again without providing a reason. The hotel can
benefit from your constructive criticism by pinpointing problem areas and seeking to resolve these
problems. If other customers have pointed out the same problems, then they merit the hotel’s time and
effort to resolve. The message should have a factual tone meant to help the hotel, not to simply
complain.
PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate REF: p. 122

KEY: Bloom's: Application
CASE
1. Conference Hotel Changes
You manage a large hotel that is used by organizations and businesses for meetings and conferences. A
recent storm has damaged part of your hotel which means that you have fewer rooms available for
meetings. You now have nearly 20 percent fewer guest rooms for conference participants and four less
meeting rooms for smaller sessions. You estimate that room repairs will take nearly a month, but the
Association of Intercultural Studies is scheduled to arrive for a three-day conference in two weeks and
has booked all rooms. Now there are not enough rooms for the conference.
7-11
Required:
As manager of the hotel, write a letter to the meeting manager for the association. Tell the manager the
bad news regarding the damage to the rooms and provide an alternative of using rooms at a nearby
hotel.
ANS:
Conference Hotel SOLUTION
Write the letter inductively, beginning with a buffer that leads to the reasons for the bad news.
1. Use a buffer paragraph to introduce the idea that you are looking forward to the arrival of
conference attendees in two weeks. Remind the meeting manager that your hotel has an
excellent reputation for quality service and an experienced staff to handle large
conferences.
2. Present the facts about the recent storm and how it affected the local area.
3. Present the bad news of the damage to the hotel, but emphasize the large number of
rooms still available for the meeting. Reassure the meeting manager that your staff is
prepared to handle changes and that you have already made alternative arrangements.
4. Explain that a nearby hotel will accommodate the overflow of guests and meetings. Your
hotel will provide a free shuttle and reduced room rates for all attendees.
5. Close with a positive idea that the conference will be a success and that attendees will
enjoy their stay at your reputable hotel.
A proposed solution follows:
Dear Ms. Chastain:
It has been over a year since you contracted with our hotel for the annual conference of the Association
of Intercultural Studies. In two weeks, your conference participants will arrive and have the
opportunity to enjoy our wonderful cuisine, pool and spa, and luxurious accommodations. You’ve
made a great choice in hotels. As you know, we’re one of the most highly rated hotels in the city for
providing conference facilities.
We’re particularly known for working closely with meeting and event planners to ensure that
everything runs smoothly for conferences. Our staff is highly skilled, creative, and can quickly adapt
to the frequent changes that come with managing conferences. You now have the best hotel staff in the
city ready to make your three-day conference one of the best ever.
You may have heard about the recent storm that hit our city this week. We, like many other businesses,
suffered some damage to rooms, but thanks to our neighboring Hilton Hotel, we can make the
necessary changes smoothly. Some changes will affect your conference, but the shuttle service will be
available regularly to transport your participants between the Hilton and our hotel. We’ve had to
reschedule four of the meetings rooms conference in the Hilton Hotel. The shuttle will run continually
during the time of these sessions. The storm caused damage to some rooms, so 20 percent of the
participants will be provided rooms in the equally luxurious Hilton Hotel. Our discount rate will apply
to these rooms.
We assure you that we’re equipped and ready to provide all the services you may need. Call if you
have any questions about these changes. We’re eagerly awaiting the arrival of the guests from the
Association of Intercultural Studies. I think they will love our hotel and enjoy the extra
accommodations of the Hilton which will be available to everyone.
Sincerely,
7-12
OBJ: LO: 7-2 NAT: BUSPROG: Reflective Thinking STA: DISC: Receiver Reaction
2. Improving on Constructive Criticism
A new medical assistant, Janelle, was hired at an outpatient medical center. Her supervisor found an
error she made on a patient’s record and sent Janelle the following email. Edit the email so that it is a
good example of constructive criticism.
“I just want you to know how angry I am to find an error you made on Mr. Smith’s record yesterday.
How careless can you be about such an important thing? There is absolutely no room for carelessness
in this job because people’s lives depend on us! I’ve fixed the error, but if this ever happens again, you
may lose your job.”
ANS:
1. Start the message with a buffer that factually explains the importance of accuracy in
medical records.
2. Provide an example of how a seemingly minor detail can have major ramifications for
patients.
3. Point out the error made by Janelle and explain how it should have been recorded.
4. Offer to help answer questions or to double-check her work while she is in training.
Provide suggestions that will help her to avoid future errors with patient records.
5. Encourage her to excellence.
A proposed solutions follows:
TO: Janelle
SUBJECT: Patient Record Accuracy
Accuracy in patient records is a top priority for all of us at Medical Center. Among the myriad of
details that we must enter daily on patient records, an error can sometimes occur. When discovered, we
try to correct these as quickly as possible to avoid serious problems in treating our patients.
I’m sure that you realize the serious nature of incorrectly recording information on patient charts. The
consequence of one error can have far reaching ramifications, including life-threatening patient issues
and medical malpractice. With this in mind, it is critically important that you check and double-check
all of the information that you enter in patient records.
The recent error you made on Mr. Smith’s record was thankfully not life threatening, but this serves as
an important reminder to you that all information must be checked before entering. This is an essential
part of your job, and there is no room for error. Some of our more experienced medical assistants
would be glad to provide tips for double-checking patient information prior to recording. I’ve
scheduled a brief training session tomorrow at 8 a.m. with Jeremy Combs who will review this matter
with you.

KEY: Bloom's: Analysis
7-13
3. Company Downsizing
You are the president of Technik Inc. Global competition and reduced market share has sent profits on
a downward spiral which will result in employee layoffs. Nearly 10 percent of the employees will be
laid off, effective in one week. They will receive two weeks severance pay, accrued sick leave pay,
and career consulting from the human resources department. Write an interoffice memorandum
announcing this negative organization news.
ANS:
Company Downsizing SOLUTION
Write the interoffice memorandum inductively, beginning with a short neutral paragraph.
1. Note how important good employees are to any business. Thank the employees for their
hard work and interest in the company’s success. Comment on their positive
contributions to their jobs and remind them of the talent and skill they bring to the
workplace.
2. Describe the recent problems of global competition in the industry and how it has
negatively impacted Technik Inc. State the facts and reasons for the problem.
3. Present the bad news by de-emphasizing it in a dependent clause of a complex sentence.
Show empathy to the employees’ feelings.
4. Provide information on the severance benefits and career counseling. Offer to write a
letter of reference that can be used for a job search.
5. End with a positive idea that affirms the employee’s hireability in the workplace.
A proposed solution follows:
TO: All Technik Employees

SUBJECT: Changes at Technik
During our ten years in business, we’ve experienced many years of successful sales, thanks to our
hard-working employees. Many of you have been with us this entire time and have contributed your
skills and extensive knowledge to making this company a success. Many of our newcomers have
brought innovative ideas, cutting edge knowledge, and admirable team efforts to our company. All of
you have worked hard together, often sacrificing by working long hours to complete deadlines.
We’ve produced great products that we can be proud of. This would not have happened without such a
great group of employees. You are well aware that in the past year increased global competition has
drastically reduced our market share. We have kept you posted each quarter and made our best efforts
to communicate honestly and openly with you. In light of these quarterly postings, a few employees
understandably have sought jobs elsewhere. Most of you have demonstrated an ongoing commitment
and optimism that profits would increase each quarter. We’ve tried to cut costs as much as possible to
avoid laying off Technik employees. Unfortunately, these cutbacks in expenses are no longer enough.
We’re now faced with the reality of downsizing in order to survive as a company. As president, it is
not an easy choice to decide who stays and who goes. In fact, it is one of the toughest decisions that I
have had to make during my 10 years in this position. I value all of you and the impressive
contributions you’ve made to this company.
7-14
The details of this downsizing will be given to those who are laid off, but the bottom line is that
Technik must reduce the number of employees by 10 percent, effective next week. Today, affected
employees will receive notices of layoff. In an effort to provide some financial cushion, they will also
receive a severance package that includes two weeks severance pay plus any accrued sick leave pay.
Career consulting will be available from the human resources department, and supervisors will write
letters of recommendations for those who need them.
We hope we have turned the corner toward financial stability. Again, thank you for your dedication to
your work and this company.

7-15
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“Don’t be a fool, or take me for one, unless you are ready to quit. Do
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“Sure thing! You’ve got it all down to a fine point, haven’t you?”
“Then you will get in with him and go wherever the driver takes you.
By the time the carriage stops you will have explained matters in any
way you see fit; only young Langford must be given to understand
that it is all off between you.”
“And after that?”
“After that I think it will be best for you to leave Denver. It is a fair-
sized town, but I am afraid it isn’t big enough to hold you and me at
the same time.”
“And what if I refuse? What if I tell you to go to——”
Brant took out the borrowed pistol and balanced it on the palm of his
hand.
“In that case I shall be obliged to make sure of you here and now;
and remembering what you are, I’d about as soon do it as not.”
The man at bay fought the fear back out of the telltale eyes and tried
to laugh hardily.
“You are a pretty smooth talker, George, but you can’t bluff me. I
don’t know just what you are driving at, but I do happen to know that
you don’t care to get your name in the papers just now. All the same,
I’m willing to oblige you—for a consideration.”
“How much?” asked Brant, still balancing the weapon.
“A hundred, say, in money, and that little package of papers you took
the trouble to have sworn out against me up in Taggett’s Gulch.”
Brant considered it for a moment, and the man at bay began to have
a dim premonition that he had gone too far; that his life hung in the
balance while he waited. The terror of it grew with the lagging
seconds, and he had opened his mouth to withdraw the condition
when Brant spoke again:
“You know very well that I don’t have to make terms with you, but
you shall have the money. The papers I keep. Now go and get the
boy, and don’t make any bad breaks. If you do, I shall shoot first and
talk afterward.”
Harding drew breath of relief and re-entered the kennel with Brant at
his heels. Inside the swing doors the latter gave another order.
“Go on and get your man; I’ll wait here while you are doing it.”
When Harding was about it Brant turned to the bartender. “Here is
your gun, Tom; much obliged. And, while I think of it, I’ll turn over the
Professor’s arsenal. You can give it back to him when he calls for it.”
A murderous-looking knife, a life preserver, and a set of brass
knuckles changed hands, and Deverney swept them into a drawer
with an exclamation of surprise.
“Holy Smut! And he let you catch him without his gun!” he said.
“Not much,” rejoined Brant pleasantly. “But I shall keep that for a little
while. I am not through with him yet. And say, Tom, that reminds me:
if that youngster ever comes back here, just pull that ‘No Minors
Allowed’ sign on him and run him out. You won’t lose anything,
because he will have no money to blow in.”
“I’ll do it—for you, George. But the Professor will run him in again.”
“I shall make it my business to see that he doesn’t,” Brant asserted;
and just then Harding came up with young Langford.
“Hello, Brant,” said the cub, with a free-and-easy swagger born of
the place rather than of his temperament. “By gad, I didn’t know you
were a sporting man! Shake hands with my friend Mr. Harding.”
Brant scowled, but the boy saw nothing and rattled on: “Going home
early to-night. What will you take, gentlemen? It’s on me.”
“Nothing,” said Brant shortly; and Harding drew the boy away.
The pair left the place and went up the street, with Brant a few steps
in the rear. At the corner a night-owl carriage was waiting for a
chance fare, and Harding opened the door and got in with his
companion. At the click of the door latch Brant climbed to a seat
beside the driver and gave the order.
“No. 16 Altamont Terrace,” he said; and when the horses were fairly
headed for North Denver he lighted a cigar and ventured to
anticipate success.
But the triumph was short-lived. While the carriage was yet rumbling
over the viaduct the little upflash of triumph flickered and went out.
For, however worthy the cause in which he had fought and won, it
was Brant the man of violence, and no repentant sinner of them all,
who had done the fighting. For the time being he had lapsed as
thoroughly as if the new leaf had never been turned, and the dregs
of that cup were bitter.
CHAPTER VIII
A BLOW IN THE DARK
When a careful man blunders he is apt to make thorough work of it.

If Brant had suspected the use Harding would make of an
uninterrupted quarter of an hour with William Langford, it is safe to
assume that no preventive, however heroic, would have failed to
commend itself to the rescuer; and he should have foreseen. Any
tenderfoot of them all would have been less blunt-witted, he told
himself afterward in much bitterness of spirit. But that was after the
fact. While he was smoking his cigar on the box and tasting some of
the aloe dregs of the cup of lapsings, Harding was making the most
of his opportunity.
“No, Willie, I can’t say when I may be back in Denver. A man with a
big mine on his hands can’t play marbles all the time, you know. Has
to look after his ante or they’ll steal him blind.”
“Of course,” agreed Will; and then, “Where is your mine?”
Now one place is as good as another for the location of purely
mythical real estate; but, for safety’s sake, Harding went far afield.
“It’s on the other side of the range; in the Silverette district.”
“Is that so? Then you must know all about the Jessica. The
governor’s got some stock in the Jessica.”
“Ye-yes; oh, yes. I know the Jessica, of course. But the Silverette is a
big district, you know. My claim isn’t anywhere near the camp, and
I’m glad of it. Tough town, is Silverette. And that reminds me, how
did you happen to catch on to George Brant?”
Truly, Will Langford was a crass young idiot whose ways were very
far from being the ways of wisdom, and yet he was not besotted
enough to be without an undefined conviction that this smooth-
tongued mine owner of pedagogic appearance and profligate habit
was not a man to whom family affairs could be properly confided.
Wherefore he skirted the question.
“I don’t know very much about him. He is a friend of a friend of ours.”
“I thought you wasn’t fairly on to him, or you wouldn’t have
introduced me,” said Harding, with marked significance. “He is a
mighty good man to let alone. You can bet high on that and play to
win every time.”
The hint accomplished that whereunto it was sent, and Will must
needs know more. Harding was crafty enough to make an
unspeakable mystery of it until the boy’s curiosity was whetted to the
keen edge of demanding the particulars for family reasons. Then
Harding told Brant’s story, carefully suppressing his own connection
therewith, and weaving evil deeds and worse motives into the
narrative with such a skilful admixture of truth as to make it utterly
impossible for the ex-reprobate ever to clear himself without denying
much that was manifestly undeniable.
The carriage was turning into Altamont Terrace when he concluded,
and the eager listener had time for no more than a word of thanks.
“By Jove, I’m awfully glad you told me about him, Mr. Harding! There
are reasons, family reasons, as I said; but I can’t tell you about them
now. By gad, if he ever shows up here again I’ll——”
What the self-constituted guardian of the Langford honour would do
is not to be here set down, since the carriage was stopping at the
gate. Harding would have given much to know that, and many other
things; would have purchased another quarter of an hour with the
boy at any reasonable price. But with the carriage drawn up before
the judge’s gate and Brant sitting on the box, the time was
unpropitious. So Harding was fain to bury his desire for further
knowledge under a final word of caution.
“I’m glad I happened to mention it. Keep your eye on him and give
him the whole sidewalk. I saw him hanging around down yonder, and
I was afraid he might get his hands on you; that’s why I brought you
home. Good night.”
Brant heard the last word, and saw the boy go up the walk and let
himself into the house. Then he gave the driver the return order.
“Back to town,” he said. “You can put us down at Elitch’s.”
The long drive back to town was full of disquieting reflections for the
man who desired nothing so much as to be allowed to atone for past
violence by present and future good behaviour, and who was yet
constrained to play the ruffler through still another interview with
James Harding. Such reflections capped by such consequences are
likely to be heart-hardening, and Brant was in no merciful mood
when the carriage drew up at the curb in front of the café and he
climbed down to open the door.
“Come out,” he rasped; and when Harding stood beside him, “You
will have to go in here with me to get your money.”
Harding nodded, and threw in a sneer. “Banking with John
nowadays, are you?” But to this Brant made no reply.
As it chanced, the great dining room was nearly empty, and the
genial proprietor, known and loved of all men, was at his desk. Brant
took him aside.
“John, I want a hundred dollars to use right now. Can you cash a
check for me?”
The genial one laughed. It was not his way to cash checks for men
whom he knew and trusted.
“Not much,” he said. “You can have the century, but I don’t want your
paper.” And he found the money in the little safe behind the desk.
“Anything else I can do for you?”
“Yes; I want to use one of the private rooms for a few minutes.”
Elitch held up a finger for the head waiter, a stalwart young fellow
who looked as if he might be a college athlete working his way
through a lean vacation.
“Parker, show these gentlemen to No. 4, and light the gas for them.
No orders.”
The athletic one led the way to a small private dining room
partitioned off in the rear of the public tables. It was a mere box,
lighted by a chandelier pendent from the ceiling, and furnished only
with table and chairs. When they were alone, Harding dropped into
one of the chairs and Brant drew up another on the opposite side of
the table.
“Now, then, talk quick and tell the truth—if you can. What did you say
to the boy?”
The soul of the real James Harding peered out through his half-
closed eyes for a fleeting instant, but the veil was drawn again
before one might note the levin-flash of triumph.
“I did what you wanted me to: told him I’d got to go and look after my
mine.”
“What excuse did you make for taking him home?”
“Told him he shouldn’t ought to be out so late. He’ll do anything for
me, that young fellow will.”
“Yes, that is very evident,” Brant commented dryly. Then, “What else
did you say to him?”
Again the levin-flash of triumph, but Brant did not see it. “Nothing;
you didn’t tell me to say anything else to him.”
“No more I didn’t. Well, all you have to do now is to keep out of his
way—and mine. Here is your money. Take it and make yourself
scarce.”
The roll of bills changed hands, and Harding made sure of the price
before he spoke again. Then he squared himself against his side of
the table and asked if he might have his weapons.
“Deverney has them—all but the gun. I think I shall keep that as a
souvenir.”
Harding nodded assent, and the shifty eyes were veiled. “That’s all
right; keep it, and welcome. I’d have made you a present of it if you
had asked me for it.” He was picking nervously at the tablecloth, and
a curious change—a change in which sullen hardihood gave place to
something not so easily definable—came over him as he went on:
“And about young Langford: I would have turned him loose long ago
if I had known you wanted me to; honest to God, I would! You have
had it in for me for a good many years, George, but there hasn’t
been a day in any one of them when I wouldn’t do anything you
asked—and more.”
Brant’s acknowledgment of all this was a contemptuous curl of the
lip, and Harding tried again.
“It’s so, and you know it. We’ve scrapped a good deal, first and last,
but if I’ve been the jackal, you’ve been the wolf. I’ve been thinking a
good bit in the last hour or so, and I’m going to say what’s in me.
Why can’t we quit square, for once? I haven’t got anything against
you; and it seems like after what has happened you ought to be
willing to let up on me.”
“Oh, it does, does it?” Brant was looking now, and he saw the fear
signals flying in the shifty eyes. He was as yet no more than a
catechumen in the temple of mercy, as he was learning to his cost,
and the man-quelling demon was once more in possession. So he
backslid promptly into the prerepentant barbarism and gave another
twist to the thumbscrews. “That means that you want something
more, I suppose. What is it? Out with it.”
“The papers, George—the affidavits you got against me up in
Taggett’s Gulch. I haven’t had a good night’s rest since I found out
you had ’em, so help me God, I haven’t! Wherever I go, and
whatever I do, I can feel that cursed hangman’s knot pulling up
under my ear. For Christ’s sake, give ’em to me, George! Don’t send
me to hell before my time!”
Truly, Brant was yet very far from sainthood, either in act or intention,
since he could look unmoved upon the ghastly face of the terror-sick
man across the table. Harding leaned forward until his chin was
nearly touching the cloth. His shifty eyes were for once fixed and
glassy, and the perspiration of fear stood thickly upon his narrow
brow. And with the dropping of the mask of self-control, the old age
of dissipation wrought its will on the clean-shaven face, furrowing it
with wrinkles that seemed to deepen visibly with the dragging
seconds.
“Oh, my God! think of it, George,” he began again in a husky
whisper, “think of what would happen if you were to die! And I’d
never get so much as a hint of what was coming till they had
snapped the bracelets on me! You couldn’t die easy with such a
thing as that on your mind; now could you, George?”
Brant looked away and shut his hands until the finger nails bit the
flesh. There was a moment of silence surcharged with the electricity
of portent—a moment in which the limp figure at the opposite side of
the table drew itself up by imperceptible degrees and the glassy
eyes of it began to glow with the fires of unrecking ferocity. The
athletic young head waiter, drawn to the door of No. 4 by what
promptings of curiosity he knew not, had his eye glued to a crack in
the panel and his ears strained to catch the reply to Harding’s
appeal; and knowing nothing of the man, but much of the danger
signals readable in the man’s face, he wondered at Brant’s
preoccupation. And when Brant began to speak without looking up,
the athlete swore softly to himself, and cautiously tried the handle of
the door—tried it and found it locked.
“I have thought about that a good many times, and it has been a
comfort to me. You called me a wolf a minute ago, but it is you who
have lived the wolf’s life, sparing neither man, woman, nor child.
Hence it is fitting that you should die as you have lived.
Remembering these things, and how you used to wring my soul
when you had the power, I think I shall die quite comfortably when
my time comes.”
“Then die!” yelled the madman, hurling himself in a fierce tiger spring
across the table at his tormentor.
Brant was by far the stronger of the twain, but the onset was so
sudden and unexpected that he was borne down among the chairs,
and Harding’s fingers were at his throat before he could gather
himself in defense. After that he was helpless, and the dancing gas
jets of the chandelier were about to go out in a flare of red lightning
when the weight was lifted from his chest and he began to breathe
again. Then he saw that the athletic waiter had set his shoulder to
the door at the opportune moment; that he had flung Harding into a
corner and was standing guard over him with a chair for a weapon.
“Say the word, Mr. Brant, and I’ll smash him one for good luck,” he
said; but Brant sat up and shook his head.
“No; let him go,” he said huskily. “I can kill him later on if I need to.”
The young man stood aside, and Harding ran out. Then the athletic
one helped Brant to his feet.
“He didn’t cut you, did he?” he asked.
“No. I believe he was trying to choke me. I don’t know how I came to
be so careless. How did you happen in?”
The young man laughed, and was not beyond blushing a little. “I
guess I might as well make a clean breast of it. Business isn’t very
brisk at this time of night, and I overheard a little of what was going
on—not much, but enough to make me wonder if I could smash the
door in if the need arose. I suppose I ought to be ashamed of myself;
but it was rather lucky, as it turned out.”
“Very lucky, indeed. And there was nothing particularly private about
my part of the interview. Has John gone home?”
“Yes. Shall I call a cab for you?”
“Oh, no. Give me your shoulder to the sidewalk and I can make it all
right. But I am beginning to think I had a rather close call.”
“You did that.” The head waiter took Brant’s arm, and the course
between the tables of the public room was safely steered. At the
door the breath of the night air was revivifying, and Brant found
speech in which to thank his rescuer.
“Oh, that’s all right,” laughed the athlete. “It’s all in a day’s work.
Good night.”
CHAPTER IX
THE EYE TO THE STRING
In the Langford household the judge and Dorothy were the only early
risers, and on the morning following Will’s home-bringing they
breakfasted alone together as usual. Dorothy and her mother had
sat up for the wayward one the night before; but at the breakfast
table the daughter saw that the news of his son’s return brought
small comfort to her father. The cause of his disquietude was not far
to seek. The morning papers lay unopened beside his plate, and he
left them there when he retreated to the library.
Being a woman, Dorothy did not thus deny herself the luxury of
suffering with full knowledge. She opened the papers and read the
reports of the raid on Draco’s; and she did not fail to put up a little
pæan of thanksgiving when she found that her brother’s name was
omitted in the list of the arrests. Stopping only long enough to make
assurance doubly sure, she hastened to the library.
“Here are the papers, father,” she began, and when he looked up
from his book and shook his head in refusal, she went on quickly:
“You needn’t be afraid to read them; Will’s name isn’t mentioned.”
The judge took the papers and scanned them with interest newly
aroused. The fine old face of the master of Hollywood, with its heavy
white mustache and pointed goatee, was military rather than judicial,
and Dorothy was joyed to see the lines of stern sorrow soften a little
as he read.
“You are right,” he said, after he had scanned the list of the
incriminated ones. “Let us thank God that we are spared so much.
But I don’t understand it.”
“Perhaps Will gave an assumed name,” Dorothy suggested.
“And so added a lie to his other misdoings?” rejoined the father
bitterly. “No, he didn’t do that. I saw the record at the police station.”
Dorothy was puzzled for a moment, and then a light broke in upon
her.
“I think I know how it happened,” she said, and then she gave him a
brief summary of the talk with Brant on the veranda.
The judge heard her through, and being in nowise less shrewd
because he happened to be his daughter’s father, he was at no loss
to account for Brant’s motive. Nevertheless, he did not forget to be
grateful, and he gave the helpful one his just meed of praise.
“It was a thoughtful thing to do, and the man who would think of it at
such a time must know how it grinds to have a good old name
dragged in the mire,” he said warmly. “I shall remember it. Was Mr.
Brant with Will when he came home?”
“I couldn’t tell. I saw the carriage drive up, and saw Will stop to
speak to some one inside after he got out. Then he came up the
walk alone, and the carriage went back toward the boulevard.”
“Well, it was a kindly deed, well meant and well done, and we are Mr.
Brant’s poor debtors,” said the judge, taking up one of the papers
again. “I shall go down by and by and thank him for it.”
Dorothy went at that, and when the library door closed behind her
the judge put the paper down, ostensibly to polish his eyeglasses,
but really because the problem of his old age had grown great
enough to banish interest in everything else. He had always prided
himself on being a good judge of human nature, and so he was
when the point of view was the judge’s bench in a courtroom. But it
is a wise father who knows his own son; and Judge Langford was
just beginning to suspect that his experience with human nature, and
his courtroom studies therein, had counted for little in the training of
his son. More than this, he was coming to understand that there is a
time when a father’s lost opportunities may not be regained; that the
saving of William Langford, if salvage there were to be, must be at
other and alien hands.
That conclusion set him upon the search for his own substitute, and
most naturally he thought of Brant. There was that about Colonel
Bowran’s assistant which made him easily a beau ideal for a
younger man whose tastes were not wholly vitiated. He was a man
of the world—a much wider world than his present position with the
colonel bespoke, the judge decided; and he was of the masterful
type out of which boys are most likely to fashion their heroes. If the
thing might only come about without suggestion; if— But there were
too many “if’s” in the way, and the judge fell to polishing his
eyeglasses again, letting the summing up of the matter slip into
spoken words: “I wish he might be able to tell me what to do with the
boy. It is far enough beyond me.”
The door had opened noiselessly, and the mother of the problem
crossed the threshold in good time to overhear the summing up.
“What is beyond you?” she asked, knowing well enough what the
answer would be.
“The one thing that is always beyond me, Martha—what we are to do
with William.”
The mother had not yet been to breakfast, but she sat down and
prepared to argue her son’s case.
“Doesn’t it sometimes occur to you that possibly you may try to do
too much?”
“No,” said the judge firmly, knowing by sorrowful experience
whereunto the argument would lead. “By some means—I don’t
pretend to know how—the boy always manages to whitewash
himself with you. But I am coming to know him better. We may as
well face the fact first as last, Martha. He is thoroughly, utterly,
recklessly bad. God forgive me that I should have it to say of the son
for whom I am responsible!”
But Mrs. Langford protested indignantly, as was her maternal
privilege.
“That is just where you are mistaken—in assuming that he is bad at
heart. You don’t understand him at all, and sometimes I’m tempted to
think you don’t want to. Are there no allowances to be made for
youthful thoughtlessness?”
“Youthful depravity, you would better say.” The judge left his chair
and began to walk the floor. “Why don’t you call things by their right
names? I should think this last affair would open your eyes, if nothing
else has.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Please sit down, Robert; you make me nervous. I
had a long talk with him last night, and he told me everything without
reserve. I know it was all wrong—his being in such a place—but it
was rather foolish than intentionally wicked.”
“You make a nice distinction,” said the judge, but the sorrow in his
voice dulled the edge of the sarcasm. “What is his story?”
“Why, just this. It seems that he has a friend—a Mr. Harding, a
wealthy mine owner—and they went around together to see the
sights, purely out of curiosity, William says, and I believe him. They
just happened to be in this Draco place night before last; and when
the police rushed in they took everybody, guilty and innocent. William
says his friend tried to explain that they were only onlookers, but it
was no use, and—well, we know the rest.”
“Yes, rather better than I could wish. As a result of his curiosity, or
this Mr. Harding’s, I find my son in the police station, charged with
gambling.”
“Of course, in such a case the charge would be made against
everybody.”
“As it should be. If William had been at home, instead of prowling
about town with a disreputable companion——”
Mrs. Langford raised deprecatory hands.
“Wait and hear the sequel before you do the man an injustice. When
Will went downtown last night, feeling desperate and discouraged
enough to do anything, this Mr. Harding found him and insisted on
his coming straight home—brought him home in a carriage, in fact. A
bad man would not have done that.”
The judge looked perplexed, as well he might. “Brought him home in
a carriage, you say? Why, I thought—” But he did not add what he
thought.
“Yes, and that wasn’t all. It seems that Mr. Harding knows Mr. Brant,
and he told William his whole history. Will wouldn’t repeat it—he said
it wasn’t fit for me to hear—but he told me enough so that I shall
know what to say to Mr. Brant if he ever has the effrontery to come
here again.”
Here was a fresh mystery, but the judge was wise enough not to
repeat what Dorothy had told him. Moreover, he knew his son’s
failings too well to place implicit confidence in any story of his told in
a peace-making moment after an escapade. Wherefore he
counselled moderation.
“I shouldn’t take too much for granted if I were you, Martha,” he said.
“There are always two sides to an accusation like that, and possibly
Mr. Brant may have something to say for himself. Anyway, I should
give him a chance.”
“That is precisely what I shall do,” Mrs. Langford rejoined, with a
tightening of the firm lips that boded ill for the man who was to be
given the chance; after which she went to breakfast, leaving her
husband to the company of his own thoughts—thoughts which were
far from comforting.
How much of William’s story could be believed? And who was this
man Harding who claimed to know Brant? If the latter was the one
who had prevailed upon Will to come home, how was it that the boy
had come in a carriage with the former? And which of the two had
suppressed the mention of William Langford’s name in the published
lists of the accused? These and many more perplexing questions
suggested themselves, and the judge was no nearer the heart of the
tangle when he finally went out to seek Brant at the railway offices.
CHAPTER X
THE STRING TO THE SHAFT
As for Brant, the day following the retrieval of the body of William
Langford was a day to be marked in the calendar as the Feast of the
Mingled Cups. Having been up rather more than half the night, he
was a little late at the office, and he found the chief engineer getting
ready to go up the line on the day train.
“Good morning, Brant,” said the colonel. “You are just in time. I want
Grotter’s field notes to take with me. What did you do with the book?”
Brant found the notebook, and began to say something about late
hours and their next morning consequences, but the colonel only
laughed good-naturedly:
“I know; I was a young man once myself. But if I had it to do over
again I’d touch it lightly. Of course, you are new to the West, and
naturally you want to see the animals; but even an onlooker has to
be careful and not get the smell of the menagerie in his clothes. It’s
devilish hard to get out.”
It was a random thrust, but it went home, and for a few minutes after
the colonel’s departure Brant saw only the large humour of it. Truly,
he had never posed before his chief as a reformed reprobate; but to
be mistaken for an innocent youth, fresh from the moral environment
of the well-behaved East, was mirth for the gods. Afterward,
however, the pendulum swung to the opposite end of its arc. Was it
quite honest that he should suffer the colonel—and others—to think
better of him than the facts warranted? Obtaining money under false
pretences was a crime: was it any less culpable to carry off booty of
good repute in like manner?
As far as his chief was concerned, Brant had come to know the
colonel well enough to be sure that a most intimate knowledge of the
incriminating facts would have little weight with him on the
professional side. He was well satisfied with his assistant, and,
unlike many employers, he was frank enough to say so. But there
was a standing invitation—as yet unused—holding the door of the
Bowran home open to the draughtsman. This might not be
withdrawn in so many words, but—Brant put himself in the colonel’s
shoes—it would probably not be renewed.
From the Bowran generalities to the Langford particulars was but a
step, and Brant presently began to ask himself curious questions
touching the continuance of his welcome at Hollywood if the facts
were known. That was a different matter, and he was not long in
arriving at conclusions definite and humiliating. The judge would
probably set him down as a hypocrite; Mrs. Langford would be
horrified; Isabel would want him to pose as the central figure in a
certain picture of mining camp life she was painting; Will would
fellowship him frankly on the ground of similarity of tastes; and
Dorothy—it was not so easy to prefigure her attitude, though pity and
sorrow for a smashed ideal might well be the pointing of it.
“That settles it!” said this latter-day flagellant, scourging himself into
a fine fury of self-abnegation. “I go there no more. It is only a
question of time when they will find me out, and then I should do
something desperate.”
So he affected to consider the determination taken once for all, and
fell to work in a dull rage of resentment. But when that fire burned
out for lack of fuel, as all fires will, another and a holier was kindled
in its place. At thirty a man does not fall in love at first sight, and in
the beginning Dorothy Langford had figured in his thoughts of her
only as an incarnation of pure womanhood. But latterly the point of
view had been changing. She was no longer a type; she was the
eidolon of the type. Brant asked himself a blunt question, and the ink
dried between the nibs of his ruling pen while the question waited for
its answer. The windows of the map room looked northward, and he
got down from the high stool to stand with his hands behind him,
gazing abstractedly across the railway yards toward the quarter of
the town he had come to know best.
“You have spun the web for me, little girl, and I couldn’t break away
from you now if the heavens fall,” he said, letting his thought slip into
speech. “I have just about one chance in a hundred of being able to
carry it off without being found out, and I am going to take that
chance; I’d take it if it were only one in a thousand.”
The outer office door opened and shut, but Brant heard it not. For
which cause he started guiltily when some one behind him said:
“You have a fine view from here, Mr. Brant.”
Brant spun around as one shot, and found himself confronting the
father of the young woman whom he had been apostrophizing. For a
moment even the commonplaces deserted him, but presently he
recovered himself sufficiently to join rather sheepishly in the laugh at
his own expense.
“I was fairly caught,” he admitted. “How long have you been here?”
“Not long enough to hear any secrets,” replied the judge. “You were
saying something about ‘one in a thousand’ when I came in, and it
struck me as being a very natural remark for a young man in a
trance.”
“It is one of my bad habits,” Brant confessed—“talking to myself, I
mean. It began when I was a little fellow and lacked playmates.”
“It is a very common habit. I once knew an attorney who had it in a
most peculiar form. His office was adjoining mine, and he would lock
the door and discuss a case with himself. We used to laugh at him a
good bit, but he was always the best-prepared man in court.”
All of which was quite beside the mark, as Brant well knew; but he
made courteous answer, having it in mind to let his visitor pick his
own way through the generalities. This the judge seemed to find very
difficult, since he made several false starts before coming finally to
the object of his visit. Brant set the hesitancy down to pardonable
family pride, and stood ready to help when he should be given the
chance. At length the judge came to the point and waded reluctantly
into the domestic pool.
“I came down to thank you for what you did for us last night, Mr.
Brant. My daughter has told me the circumstances, and it was
exceedingly good of you to interest yourself in my poor boy.”
Brant said “Not at all,” meaning thereby that the service had been
freely rendered, and the judge went on:
“It was a great relief to us all to find William safe at home this
morning. He left us in anger, and I feel quite sure that we have you to
thank for his return, though I am wholly in the dark as to how you
managed it.”
Brant answered the implied question frankly.
“It was a very simple matter. I found your son in company with a man
whose influence over him seems to be quite as great as it is sure to
be bad. I happened to know this man, and I persuaded him to take
the boy home.”
The judge leaned back in his chair and matched his finger ends
reflectively. “William mentions a Mr. Harding as having accompanied
him home in a carriage. Is he the man?”
Brant bowed.
“Then the boy must be very much mistaken in his estimate of
Harding. He seems to think he is a gentleman.”
“I don’t doubt that in the least. Harding has probably been at some
pains to make him think so. Just the same, you may believe me
when I say that he is the worst possible companion for your son, or
for any young man.”
“H’m; that is a little odd.” The judge was fairly surprised into saying
so much, but since he did not go on, how was Brant to know that the
odd thing was the exact coincidence of his opinion of Harding and
Harding’s opinion of him as reported by William Langford? And not
knowing this, he went on straightway to his own undoing.
“Odd that he should try to mislead your son? Knowing the man and
his kind as well as I do, I should say that any other proceeding on his
part would be odd. Harding is a professional gambler.”

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ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

4. In some circumstances, placing a refusal in the first sentence is justified.

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

7. Usually, a statement of bad news should be followed by a logical explanation.

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy

1. Which of the following is FALSE concerning personal delivery of bad news?

3. What is the correct order for the inductive writing sequence?

4. Exceptions to the use of inductive approach for bad-news messages include

5. An effective opening for a bad-news message

6. Which of the following are FALSE when writing bad-news messages?

11. An effective counterproposal

22. To avoid litigation, some credit-granting companies

PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy REF: p. 114

PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Challenging REF: p. 114

PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate REF: p. 122

PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate REF: p. 122

1. Conference Hotel Changes

A proposed solution follows:

Dear Ms. Chastain:

2. Improving on Constructive Criticism

A proposed solutions follows:

PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Challenging REF: p. 122-123

A proposed solution follows:

TO: All Technik Employees

PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Challenging REF: p. 123-125

When a careful man blunders he is apt to make thorough work of it.

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