He came at last to his conclusion.
"We can't shut our doors to him, Sylvia." Even though she had half expected just that answer, Sylvia flinched as she heard it uttered.
"I understand your feelings, my dear," he continued in tones of commiseration, "for they are mine.

But we must fight the Barstows with the Barstows' weapons.

It would never do for us to close our doors.

He has far too tight a hold of Wallie Hine as yet.

He has only to drop a hint to Wallie that we are trying to separate him from his true friends and keep him to ourselves--and just think, my dear, what a horrible set of motives a mean-minded creature like Barstow could impute to us! Let us be candid, you and I," cried Garratt Skinner, starting up, as though carried away by candor.