Managing Diversity Toward a Globally

Inclusive Workplace Michalle E. Mor

Barak
Visit to download the full and correct content document:
https://textbookfull.com/product/managing-diversity-toward-a-globally-inclusive-workpl
ace-michalle-e-mor-barak/
More products digital (pdf, epub, mobi) instant
download maybe you interests ...

Managing Workplace Diversity and Inclusion A

Psychological Perspective Rosemary Hays-Thomas

https://textbookfull.com/product/managing-workplace-diversity-
and-inclusion-a-psychological-perspective-rosemary-hays-thomas/

Diverse Bodies Diverse Practices Toward an Inclusive

Somatics Don Hanlon Johnson

https://textbookfull.com/product/diverse-bodies-diverse-
practices-toward-an-inclusive-somatics-don-hanlon-johnson/

Professionalism Skills for Workplace Success Lydia E.

Anderson

https://textbookfull.com/product/professionalism-skills-for-
workplace-success-lydia-e-anderson/

Inclusive Access and Open Educational Resources E text

Programs in Higher Education Tracy A. Hurley

https://textbookfull.com/product/inclusive-access-and-open-
educational-resources-e-text-programs-in-higher-education-tracy-
a-hurley/
Disability Studies and the Inclusive Classroom Critical
Practices for Embracing Diversity in Education Susan
Baglieri

https://textbookfull.com/product/disability-studies-and-the-
inclusive-classroom-critical-practices-for-embracing-diversity-
in-education-susan-baglieri/

The Dark Side of the Workplace Managing Incivility 1st

Edition Annette B. Roter

https://textbookfull.com/product/the-dark-side-of-the-workplace-
managing-incivility-1st-edition-annette-b-roter/

Human biological diversity Second Edition Daniel E.

Brown

https://textbookfull.com/product/human-biological-diversity-
second-edition-daniel-e-brown/

Inclusive and Adaptive Teaching; Meeting the Challenge

of Diversity in the Classroom; Third Edition Peter
Westwood

https://textbookfull.com/product/inclusive-and-adaptive-teaching-
meeting-the-challenge-of-diversity-in-the-classroom-third-
edition-peter-westwood/

Toward a Literary Ecology Places and Spaces in American

Literature 1st Edition Karen E. Waldron

https://textbookfull.com/product/toward-a-literary-ecology-
places-and-spaces-in-american-literature-1st-edition-karen-e-
waldron/
Acclaim for Michàlle E. Mor Barak’s Managing
Diversity

Academy of Management’s George R. Terry Book Award for the year’s most
outstanding contribution to the advancement of management knowledge
Choice Award for Outstanding Academic Titles by the Association of Research and
College Libraries

“An excellent resource to develop, theorize, and work out the inclusive workplace in a
very comprehensive, encompassing, and interdisciplinary way. . . . Boxes, tables,
graphs, and figures as well as practical examples and empirical illustrations . . . make
the book very interesting for both the conceptual, pedagogical research interest and
the practical, educational interest.”

—Cordula Barzantny, Academy of Management Learning & Education Journal

“Managing Diversity comprehensively addresses the corporate role for inclusiveness as

part of workforce management as well as at community, state and federal, and
international levels. Mor Barak has made a substantial contribution to the human
resources and management literature.”

—Gary Bess, Profiles in Diversity Journal

“The viewpoint of the book is truly global. By integrating established knowledge on

diversity issues with contemporary perspectives on inclusion and globalization, this
book pioneers the next generation of scholarship on issues of workforce diversity.”

—Susan J. Lambert, Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare

“Authored by an extremely knowledgeable professor with a joint appointment in

business and social work at the University of Southern California, this volume
provides a thorough, well-written, and interesting resource on managing global
workplace diversity that will be useful to both the practitioner and the conceptual
researcher. All in all, this is a refreshing and compelling volume that will be useful to
anyone in global business management. Highly recommended.”

—T. Gutteridge, CHOICE Magazine

2
“This is a timely book. The book’s subject, managing diversity in a global workplace,
portends the future for a growing area of social work policy and practice. . . . A
valuable resource for social work practice in a global context, the book is also highly
recommended as a text in social work education programs.”

—John J. Stretch, Social Work Journal

“Managing Diversity comprehensively addresses the importance of inclusiveness as part

of workforce management, which is scalable from small community-based
organizations to large multinational service agencies. . . . Practical relevance is
threaded throughout the book. . . . This book is a must-read for social work
management professionals and others committed to social justice in the workplace.”

—Administration in Social Work

“[Managing Diversity] is thorough, well-written, and filled with interesting

information and case examples. It deals with an important issue in a very complete
manner, providing both theoretical and conceptual content and outstanding practical
information. It should be valuable and useful to anyone studying international
business management.”

—Sheila Akabas, Professor and Director, Center for Social Policy and Practice in
the Workplace, Columbia University

“The book will be helpful for students and scholars in international business
management, international HRM, diversity management, and cross-cultural
management. It is a useful resource for conceptualizing and implementing an inclusive
workplace agenda. It reflects a global perspective and will interest readers across
countries. The book has demonstrated well that when diversity and inclusion are
being practiced as business strategies, they help in providing competitive advantage.”

—Debi S. Saini, The Journal of Business Perspective

“Over the past two decades organizations, government, and society have grappled with
demands presented by increased diversity in nations and workplaces alike. . . . Mor
Barak’s book is one of the first to explore the synergies between international
management and domestic diversity management.”

—Kate Hutchings, Asia Pacific Journal of Human Relations

3
“This book has been structured excellently and covers a vast number of diversity
issues. . . . This book would be of value to anyone with research interests in diversity
management or cross-cultural issues.”

—Sunil Kumar Singh, IIMB Management Review

“Professor Mor Barak’s book provides a myriad of practical examples and case
illustrations that bring the content to life. The concept of the Inclusive Workplace
that she has originated and developed is particularly useful for managers and scholars
alike. I highly recommend this book.”

—Nissan Pardo, PhD, CEO/CFO, Dynamic Home Care & Nursing

4
Managing Diversity
Fourth Edition

5
Dedicated to my parents—Sara and Advocate Peretz Barak, a blessed memory

And may they live a long life, to my darling Shunit, Tomer, and Oz—For a brave new future!

To Ysrael—The wind beneath my wings

6
Managing Diversity
Toward a Globally Inclusive Workplace

Fourth Edition

Michàlle E. Mor Barak

University of Southern California

7
FOR INFORMATION:

SAGE Publications, Inc.

2455 Teller Road

Thousand Oaks, California 91320

E-mail: order@sagepub.com

SAGE Publications Ltd.

1 Oliver’s Yard

55 City Road

London EC1Y 1SP

United Kingdom

SAGE Publications India Pvt. Ltd.

B 1/I 1 Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area

Mathura Road, New Delhi 110 044

India

SAGE Publications Asia-Pacific Pte. Ltd.

3 Church Street

#10-04 Samsung Hub

Singapore 049483

Copyright © 2017 by SAGE Publications, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 978-1-4833-86126

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

8
Acquisitions Editor: Maggie Stanley

Editorial Assistant: Neda Dallal

Production Editor: David C. Felts

Copy Editor: Talia Greenberg

Typesetter: C&M Digitals (P) Ltd.

Proofreader: Bonnie Moore

Indexer: Joan Shapiro

Cover Designer: Michael Dubowe

Marketing Manager: Ashlee Blunk

9
Contents
List of Boxes, Figures, and Tables
Preface and Acknowledgments
1 Introduction and Conceptual Framework
The Challenge of Managing Diversity in a Global Context
Tensions Posed by Global Workforce Trends
Diversity and Exclusion: A Critical Workforce Problem
The Inclusive Workplace Model
Conceptual Framework and Organization of the Book
PART I: THE GLOBAL CONTEXT FOR DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT
2 Diversity Legislation in a Global Perspective: Equality and Fairness in
Employment
The International Bill of Human Rights and Employment Rights
Importance and Influence of the Declaration of Human Rights
Implementation
Diversity-Related Employment Legislation
Broad-Based Antidiscrimination Legislation
Practical Implications
Appendix 2.1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Appendix 2.2. Global Antidiscrimination and Equal Rights Legislation
Checklist of Protections Offered by a Select Number of Countries
3 Discrimination, Equality, and Fairness in Employment: Social Policies and
Affirmative/Positive Action Programs
Discrimination and Equality in Employment
Theoretical Perspectives of Discrimination and Affirmative Action
Social Policies and Affirmative/Positive Action Programs
Principles of Affirmative Action and Positive Action Programs
The Public Debate Over Affirmative and Positive Action Policies
4 Global Demographic Trends: Impact on Workforce Diversity
International Population Trends
National Trends
5 Socioeconomic Transitions: The New Realities of the Global Workforce
Worker Migration
Occupational Diversity
Migration of Employers
Implications for Diversity of Gender, Disability, and Sexual Orientation
Educational Trends and Workforce Diversity
PART II: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES OF WORKFORCE
DIVERSITY
6 Defining Diversity in a Global Context: Prejudice and Discrimination

10
 Workforce Diversity Defined
Toward a Global Definition of Diversity
Stereotypes and Prejudice
Dehumanization and Oppression
Employment-Related Discrimination
7 Vive la Différence? Theoretical Perspectives on Diversity and Exclusion in
the Workplace
Diversity and Exclusion: A Critical Workforce Problem
Overview of Social Psychological Theories of Diversity and Exclusion
Theoretical Underpinnings of the Inclusion-Exclusion Construct
Orienting Theories of Diversity and Exclusion
Explanatory Theories of Diversity and Exclusion
Research on Organizational Demography Documenting Exclusion
8 Culture and Communication in the Global Workplace
The Cultural Context for the Global Workplace
Cross-Cultural Communication
Effective Cross-Cultural Communication
9 Interpersonal Relationships in a Global Work Context
Cultural Styles and Relational Mental Models
Diversity in Interpersonal Relationships
Interpersonal Relationships and Cross-Cultural Communication
Theoretical Perspectives on Interpersonal Cross-Cultural
Communication
PART III: MANAGING A DIVERSE WORKFORCE IN THE GLOBAL
CONTEXT—THE INCLUSIVE WORKPLACE
10 Diversity Management: Paradigms, Rationale, and Key Elements
Defining Diversity Management
From Equal Rights Laws, to Affirmative/Positive Action, to Diversity
Management
Diversity Management Paradigms
Models of Global Diversity Management
The Impetus for Implementing Diversity Management
Characteristics and Limitations of Diversity Management
11 Inclusive Leadership: Unlocking the Diversity Potential
Leadership Dilemmas and the Diversity Paradox
Transformational Leadership, Inclusive Leadership, and the
Organization’s Competitive Advantage
Organizational Leadership and Inclusion
Inclusive Leadership at the Supervisor Level: Leader-Member Exchange
(LMX)
12 An Overview of the Inclusive Workplace Model: Managing the Globalized
Workforce Diversity

11
 Diversity Management and the Inclusive Workplace
13 The Inclusive Workplace: Level I—Inclusion Through Diversity Within the
Work Organization
Inclusive Policies and Practices
Barriers and Benefits of Implementing the Inclusive Approach at Level I
Case Illustration: Level I—Inclusion Through Diversity Within Work
Organizations—Denny’s, Inc.
Questions for Discussion and Further Analysis
14 The Inclusive Workplace: Level II—Inclusion Through Corporate-
Community Collaborations
Inclusive Policies and Practices
Barriers and Benefits of Implementing the Inclusive Approach at Level II
Case Illustration: Level II—Inclusion Through Corporate-Community
Collaboration—Unilever
Questions for Discussion and Further Analysis
15 The Inclusive Workplace: Level III—Inclusion Through State/National
Collaborations
Barriers and Benefits of Implementing the Inclusive Approach at Level
III
Case Illustration: Level III—Inclusion of Disadvantaged Groups at the
National/State Level—Eurest
Questions for Discussion and Further Analysis
16 The Inclusive Workplace: Level IV—Inclusion Through International
Collaborations
Barriers and Benefits to Implementing the Inclusive Approach at Level
IV
Case Illustration: Level IV—Inclusion Through Global Collaborations—
Fair Trade Company
Fair Trade History
Global Village and Fair Trade Company
Fair Trade Future
Questions for Discussion and Further Analysis
17 Practical Steps for Creating an Inclusive Workplace: Climate for Diversity,
Climate for Inclusion, and Survey Scales
Introduction
Climate for Diversity and Climate for Inclusion
The Climate for Inclusion-Exclusion Scale (MBIE)
Psychometric Properties and Previous Research Utilizing the Measure
The Mor Barak et al. Diversity Climate Scale
Psychometric Properties and Previous Research Utilizing the Measure
18 Toward a Globally Inclusive Workplace: Putting the Pieces Together
The Value Base for the Inclusive Workplace

12
 Implementation of the Inclusive Workplace
Conclusion
References
Index
About the Author

13
List of Boxes, Figures, and Tables
Chapter 1
Box 1.1. Hai Ha-Kotobuki Joint Venture (Vietnam): Programs for Inclusion
Within the Company 8
Box 1.2. The Port Authority of New York (United States): Programs for the
Homeless in the Local Community 8
Box 1.3. Delta Cafés (Portugal and East Timor): Programs for Disadvantaged
Groups 9
Box 1.4. La Siembra (Canada): International Inclusion Programs 10
Figure 1.1. Conceptual Framework and Organization of the Book 11
Chapter 2
Box 2.1. The Debate Over the Ban on the Wearing of Religious Attire and
Religious Symbols in the Workplace 17
Box 2.2. Equal Employment Legislation and De Facto Discrimination, Case
Example: Belgium 21
Box 2.3. Affirmative Action in Higher Education: Justice Scalia’s Controversial
Comments and Brazil’s Universities’ Quotas 23
Figure 2.1. United Nations: The International Bill of Human Rights 16
Figure 2.2. Worldwide Legislation Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination:
Map of Countries 28
Table 2.1. Worldwide Legislation Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination:
Listing by Country 29
Table 2.2. Comparison of the Legal Provision for Protection Against Sexual
Harassment at the Workplace Among Selected Asian Countries 34
Chapter 3
Box 3.1. Discrimination Categorization: Management Advice in 1943 53
Box 3.2. Discrimination Categorization: Harassment of Arab Muslim at an
Auto Appliances Company 54
Box 3.3. Discrimination Categorization: Black Employees File a
Discrimination Lawsuit Against Xerox 55
Box 3.4. Equal Employment Legislation and Religious Discrimination: The
Case of Northern Ireland 63
Box 3.5. Making the Case Against and for Affirmative Action: The U.S.
Supreme Court’s Ruling in Favor of White Firefighters and the First Latina
Supreme Court Justice 66
Table 3.1. Affirmative Action Legislation Worldwide (Select Countries) 58
Chapter 4
Box 4.1. The Women Who Leave, the Children Who Follow: Enrique’s Story
82
Box 4.2. The Price of Migration for Women From the Philippines 83

14
 Box 4.3. “Reverse Mentorship”—Millennials and Boomers in Today’s
Workforce 88
Box 4.4. Ethnic Diversity in Malaysia 90
Figure 4.1. Worldwide Population Trends 75
Figure 4.2. Historic and Projected Age Composition, 1970 and 2050 77
Figure 4.3. International Demographic Trends 81
Table 4.1. Population Ages 15–59 (in 1,000s) 78
Table 4.2. Population Ages 15–59, Selected Countries (in 1,000s) 79
Table 4.3. The Foreign-Born Share of the Population of More-Developed
Regions and Selected Countries 81
Table 4.4. Labor Force Participation Rates 85
Chapter 5
Box 5.1. Outsourcing: The Experience for the Displaced Workers and for
Those Who Receive the Jobs 103
Box 5.2. The Bhopal Disaster: Economic Exploitation and Human Tragedy
106
Box 5.3. Sexual Harassment and the High-Tech Industry 107
Box 5.4. Barefoot College: Educating the Rural Poor 109
Chapter 6
Box 6.1. Ziauddin Sardar Statement on His Identity and Subsequent
Stereotypes 131
Box 6.2. The Fear of Being Judged: How Stereotypes Outside of the
Workplace Affect Behavior Inside the Workplace 133
Box 6.3. The Nobleman and the Fortune Teller: Art and Stereotypes in
Renaissance Italy 134
Box 6.4. “You Speak English Really Well”: The Insidious Nature of
Microaggressions 136
Box 6.5. Documenting Employment Discrimination Against Migrant Workers
142
Figure 6.1. A Framework for Viewing Individuals Whose Culture Is Different
From One’s Own 139
Table 6.1. A Typology of Diversity Definitions 118
Chapter 7
Box 7.1. The Binocular Resolution Classical Experiments of Racial
Categorization in South Africa: Prestige of Groups, Identification, and
Exclusion 153
Box 7.2. The Classic Minimal Group Experiments 156
Box 7.3. Ouch! Facing the Sting of Social Exclusion 162
Figure 7.1. Orienting and Explanatory Theories of Diversity and Exclusion
150
Table 7.1. Summary of Theories for Understanding Workplace Diversity and
Exclusion 169

15
Chapter 8
Box 8.1. Leadership Through Effective Cross-Cultural Communication Saves
the Day in Najaf 182
Box 8.2. Hugs for Inclusion: Using a Universal Nonverbal Gesture to
Communicate Acceptance 186
Box 8.3. How Can the Important Guest Sit at the Head of a Round Table?
The Use of the Physical Setting to Convey Respect in Business
Communication 187
Box 8.4. Are Members of a Cultural Group Interacting With a Member of
Another Group More Likely to Change Their Original Communication Style
or Reinforce It? 188
Figure 8.1. Barriers to Effective Cross-Cultural Communication 183
Table 8.1. Dimensions of Cultural Difference 175
Chapter 9
Box 9.1. Relational Mental Models About Time in Ecuador 194
Box 9.2. What Just Happened in That Meeting? 194
Box 9.3. Communicating Through the Exchange of Business Cards: Task-
Oriented Versus Relationship/Task-Oriented Cultures 203
Figure 9.1. Combined Versus Differentiated Relational Styles 197
Figure 9.2. Beliefs About the Effects of Task and Relationship Conflict 199
Figure 9.3. “Keep off the Grass,” Stated Directly (United States), and the Same
Message, Stated Indirectly, “Since We Have Broad Road, Why Should We
Open Small Paths” (China) 204
Table 9.1. Cultural Context and Communication Orientation 202
Chapter 10
Box 10.1. A Diversity Training Gone Awry: The Texaco “Jelly Bean Jar”
Incident 215
Table 10.1. The Human Resource Approach to Diversity Management 214
Table 10.2. Motivation for Implementing Diversity Management 220
Chapter 11
Box 11.1. Do Personal Experiences of Exclusion Affect CEOs’ Inclusive
Leadership? 232
Box 11.2. A Secretary of State and a CEO Finally Break the Gender Barrier at
a Prestigious Private Golf Course 233
Box 11.3. A CEO’s Controversial Decision to End the Work-From-Home
Policy: Marissa Mayer’s Policy Reversal at Yahoo 234
Box 11.4. Leader-Member Exchange and Managing the Millennials: Do the
Old Rules Apply? 236
Figure 11.1. The Diversity Paradox 226
Figure 11.2. Inclusion: The Key to the Diversity Paradox Dilemma 226
Figure 11.3. The Path From Transformational Leadership Through Inclusive
Leadership to Organizational Climate of Diversity 228

16
 Figure 11.4. A Circular, Two-Stage Process of Diversity and Inclusion 229
Figure 11.5. Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Policy-Practice Decoupling 231
Chapter 12
Box 12.1. Definition of the Inclusive Workplace 240
Figure 12.1. Expanding Circles of Inclusion 240
Chapter 13
Box 13.1. A Company’s Diversity and Inclusion Programs (Level I): The Case
of DCM Shriram Industries (India) 245
Figure 13.1. The Inclusive Workplace: The Value Base for Level I 243
Figure 13.2. The Inclusive Workplace: The Practice Model for Level I 247
Chapter 14
Box 14.1. A Company’s Community Inclusion Programs (Level II)— The
Case of Nestlé (Switzerland) 262
Figure 14.1. The Inclusive Workplace: The Value Base for Level II 260
Figure 14.2. The Inclusive Workplace Model: Obstacles and Benefits for Level
II 264
Chapter 15
Box 15.1. A Company’s Collaboration With Governmental Programs for
Disadvantaged Populations (Level III): The Case of Hong Yip Service
Company Ltd. (Hong Kong) 280
Figure 15.1. The Inclusive Workplace: The Value Base for Level III 277
Figure 15.2. The Inclusive Workplace Model: Obstacles and Benefits for Level
III 280
Chapter 16
Box 16.1. A Company’s International Inclusion Initiatives (Level IV): The
Case of eShopAfrica (Ghana) 290
Figure 16.1. The Inclusive Workplace: The Value Base for Level IV Inclusion
Through Global Collaborations 289
Figure 16.2. The Inclusive Workplace Model: Barriers and Benefits for Level
IV Inclusion Through Global Collaborations 293
Chapter 17
Figure 17.1. Practical Steps for Creating an Inclusive Workplace 302
Figure 17.2. The Mor Barak et al. Diversity Climate Scale 309
Chapter 18
Figure 18.1. The Value Base for the Inclusive Workplace 316
Figure 18.2. Implementing the Inclusive Workplace Model 317

17
Preface and Acknowledgments

No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his
background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate,
they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its
opposite.

—Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, 1995

In the decade since I completed the first edition of Managing Diversity: Toward a Globally
Inclusive Workplace, the field of diversity management has blossomed from a nascent
practice area into a burgeoning specialization within business, governmental, and nonprofit
organizations. Most global organizations now have people in executive positions in charge
of diversity. The term inclusion that was introduced and defined in the first edition has
become mainstream, and most professionals now relate to the specialization as Diversity &
Inclusion, or D&I for short. Many global organizations have corporate officers who are in
charge of whole departments that oversee policies and practices that are more closely
aligned with the strategic goals of the organization. Moreover, diversity management has
become a recognized field of scientific inquiry, and there are increasing numbers of research
articles published every year in academic journals. I am gratified to see that the concept of
the inclusive workplace and the model that I introduced in the first edition of this book have
gained recognition by practitioners and researchers alike. The main principle of the
inclusive workplace is that inclusion relates not only to the organization itself but should
also be applied to expanding circles that are relevant to the organization’s life—the local
community, the wider national sphere, and the global context (see Figure 18.1 in Chapter
18). Through the different editions of the book I have introduced the accumulating
research highlighting the benefits of the inclusive workplace model to the organization and
its employees as well as on the communities it is serving, its stakeholders, and (where
applicable) its stockholders.

Yet, both globally and locally, diversity and intergroup relations are as tumultuous as ever
before. Although more organizations are benefiting from the richness of ideas and talents
that are introduced by a more diverse workforce, they operate in social environments that
are increasingly more suspicious and even hostile to people who look and behave differently
from the mainstream. In the public and political spheres, there is increasing talk about
erecting walls, both physically and metaphorically. These walls refer to strengthening
borders and national identities on the one hand, and to creating restrictions in access to
rights and privileges, on the other hand, between groups such as members of racial or
ethnic minorities, sexual and gender identity minorities, the poor and the affluent, and
immigrants and nonimmigrants. In some countries the arena for intergroup hostilities is

18
political and affects people’s livelihoods and sense of community; in others—and more
tragically—they result in military actions that take people’s lives and destroy communities
and cultures. There is more work to be done in order to remove barriers of
misunderstandings, miscommunications, and suspicion in order to create more inclusive
organizations and more inclusive societies. The increased recognition that inclusion is not
only the right thing to do but also carries great benefits for individuals, organizations, and
societies at large represents a ray of hope.

My original quest to examine and understand key diversity experiences in today’s global
society has led to interviews with employees and managers around the globe, several
research projects, and three international conferences—all culminating in this book. When
I began my research, I was intrigued by three things: First, the original concept of inclusion
that emerged from my interviews with employees and leaders at all levels of the
organization in my initial qualitative studies was quite new in the context of diversity, and
there was no research—let alone any measures for assessment—at the time. This was the
impetus for my work and for generating specific measures for diversity and for inclusion,
measures that have since been used rather extensively by other researchers in the field (see
Chapter 17). Second, I was interested in the global aspects of diversity management and in
what we could learn from research and practices in different countries. Initially, diversity
was mostly thought to be a uniquely American specialization, and even the terms to
describe diversity were anchored in the racial/ethnic groupings that were established by the
U.S. Census Bureau (e.g., Caucasian, Asian, African American, and Latino). In contrast,
this book takes a truly global view of diversity—from the definitions of the concepts (see
Chapters 6 and 7) that could apply to any country or regional context; through the
demographic, legislative, and public policy overviews (see Chapters 2–5); to the specific
examples embedded in descriptive boxes throughout the book. And third, there was not
much research to document the “business case for diversity” that was touted by pioneer
practitioners in the field. The inclusive workplace model, unique to this book, provides not
only a new way to conceptualize diversity management but is also backed with updated
research (see Chapters 11–16) that demonstrates the benefits, as well as the limitations, of
diversity policies and practices.

This fourth edition provides new and up-to-date information on both practice and research
in each of the chapters. This includes updated global demographic trends of diversity, new
legislation and public policies in different countries, and new case examples throughout the
book. In addition, there are three features that are new to this edition. First, there is a new
chapter devoted to inclusive leadership (Chapter 11). Second, this edition includes a
chapter devoted to surveys and measurement tools to help organizations assess their baseline
and progress to becoming more inclusive (Chapter 17). And third, the book examines
research and practices that generate a climate of inclusion in organizations and includes
distinguishing definitions of climate of inclusion and climate of diversity (Chapter 11).

Over the years that I have been studying workforce diversity, many people have helped me

19
gain insight into diversity experiences around the world. Although the responsibility for the
contents of this book rests solely with me, I am deeply thankful to those who joined me on
this exciting journey.

I am indebted to the many people who agreed to participate in my research projects over
the years, and who so generously shared their thoughts and their concerns regarding
diversity. In fact, the realization that inclusion was key to understanding diversity in
organizations came during the preliminary stages of a diversity research project that I
conducted about two decades ago. I was invited to carry out a study on diversity in a large,
high-tech company with headquarters in Southern California and business contracts all
over the world. I approached the project with great trepidation because I felt that I lacked
“a hook,” a key construct or theme to provide the anchor for the study; I was wondering
what was the common concern shared by people who were different from the
organization’s mainstream.

As a first step, I asked the company’s management for permission to conduct some
interviews. They agreed, and several interviews were scheduled with employees of diverse
backgrounds at different levels of the organization. I was deeply touched by the
interviewees’ willingness to open up and tell me about their experiences, their thoughts, and
their feelings. Some felt they were an integral part of their work team and the organization,
whereas others thought that their coworkers, their boss, or their subordinates could not get
past a certain characteristic that made them different. Whether the interviewee was a
woman manager, an African American supervisor, a Korean American engineer, or a Latina
secretary, their statements were similar.

Invariably, employees who were more included in the organization’s decision-making and
information networks were more satisfied, more committed to the organization, and more
productive than those who were not. After several interviews with women, men, members
of diverse racial and ethnic groups, as well as people with disabilities and members of
diverse sexual orientations—many repeatedly telling me how they felt—it finally dawned
on me: Inclusion was the key!

In the years that followed, I expanded my research to other countries and interviewed
employees in several regions of the world. The theme of organizational inclusion guided my
research and led to the development of the inclusive workplace model. My scientific work
has also yielded two research measures that have been used extensively in diversity research
in different countries and have been translated into several languages. I am thankful to the
people who agreed to be interviewed and to the colleagues who collaborated with me on
these projects.

I wish to thank the Rockefeller Foundation, particularly Susan Seckler and Susan Garfield,
for their generosity in providing the Bellagio Award and inviting me to organize and lead a
conference on Global Perspectives of Workforce Diversity. The discussions at the

20
conference, held in the summer of 2001 at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Villa Severloni in
Bellagio, Italy, were inspiring. I wish to thank my dear colleagues who participated in the
meetings: Manolo I. Abella, International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations,
Switzerland; Nancy J. Adler, McGill University, Canada; Cordula Barzantny, Groupe
Ecole Supérieure de Commerce, Toulouse, France; Jae-Sung Choi, Yonsei University,
South Korea; Philomena Essed, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Brigida
Garcia, El Colegio de Mexico, Mexico; Ellen Ernst Kossek, Michigan State University,
United States; Alan D. Levy, Tishman International, United Kingdom and United States;
Stella Nkomo, University of South Africa; Harriet Presser, University of Maryland, United
States; Martha Farnsworth Riche, Farnsworth Riche Associates, Maryland, United States;
Maritta Soininen, University of Stockholm, Sweden; Hou Wenrou, Renmin University,
China; and John Wrench, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.

I am also grateful to the Borchard Foundation for generously providing funding for a
colloquium on workforce diversity in the United States and Europe. I am particularly
thankful to Dr. Beiling, the director of the Borchard Foundation, and his wife, Mrs.
Beiling, for so graciously hosting the colloquium at the Foundation’s Château de la
Bretesche in Brittany, France, in the summer of 2003. Both Dr. and Mrs. Beiling have
generously shared with the participants their wisdom—accumulated during their world
travels and fascinating experiences—and enhanced the group’s discussions. A decade later,
the Borchard Foundation funded a second colloquium to examine the contact between
multiculturalism and diversity management. This time, our gracious host was Dr. Kristen
Beiling and her family. Our colloquium has benefited greatly from her wise input and from
her warm hospitality. I am very grateful to Mr. Alan Levy, chairman and CEO of Tishman
International, for his important contribution to both the Bellagio and the La Bretesche
colloquia, for so generously sharing his unique perspective on diversity, and for keeping all
of us honest with his real-world wisdom. I also wish to thank my dear colleagues who
participated at the La Bretesche colloquium: Manolo I. Abella, International Labour
Organization, United Nations, Switzerland; Sheila H. Akabas, Columbia University,
United States; Cordula Barzantny, Groupe Ecole Supérieure de Commerce, Toulouse,
France; Lena Domilelli, University of Southampton, United Kingdom; Paul Kurzman,
Hunter College, City University of New York, United States; Lawrence Root, University of
Michigan, United States; Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks, University of Michigan, United States;
Abye Tasse, PhD, Institut du Developpement Social, France; and Gill Widell, Göteborg
University, Sweden.

I wish to thank Marilyn Flynn for her steadfast support of my research and scholarly work.
I am especially thankful to Dnika Travis, who contributed to this project almost from its
inception—for providing background research and helpful feedback. Her contribution was
consistent and particularly valuable. I wish to thank Gary Bess for providing ongoing
support and assistance with several of the diversity projects that led to this book and for
assisting with various stages of the manuscript. I am thankful to Shunit Mor-Barak for

21
initial edits of the manuscript and helpful comments on style and structure. Ralph Fertig
and Jennifer Joseph provided helpful comments on the international legislation chapter. I
am also thankful to doctoral students and research assistants who helped with various stages
of the manuscript—Jan Nissly and Jim Fredo for their wonderful contribution to the
various case studies; MinKyoung Rhee, Hsin-Yi “Cindy” Hsiao, Erica Lizano, and Ahraemi
Kim for their valuable assistance with the second and third editions of the book; Katie Bess
Strautman for her assistance with the third and fourth editions of the book; Rebecca
Lengnik-Hall and Kim Brimhall for their assistance with the fourth edition; and the
students in my graduate seminars on global diversity management over the years who
cheerfully agreed to utilize drafts of the manuscript’s first, second, and third editions as the
course textbook and provided helpful comments.

I wish to thank the editor of the first edition, Al Bruckner, who saw the value of this project
from its inception and provided support and valuable assistance throughout my work on
the book. Al has since tragically passed on, and he is truly missed. I am thankful to the
wonderful team at SAGE—Lisa Cuevas Shaw, the executive editor of the second edition,
for her support, astute input, and patience; MaryAnn Vail; Diane Foster; Robert Holm;
Patricia M. Quinlin, senior acquisitions editor, for her guidance and support for the third
edition; Katie Guarino for her valuable assistance in the production process; and Megan
Markanich for copyediting the third edition. For their guidance and support for the fourth
edition I wish to thank the SAGE editorial team: Maggie Stanley, acquisitions editor; Katie
Ancheta, eLearning editor; and editorial assistant, Neda Dallal. I also want to extend my
thanks to the production team: David C. Felts, senior project editor, and Talia Greenberg,
copy editor.

I also wish to thank the following reviewers: Stefano Basaglia, University of Bergamo,
Bergamo, Italy, and Diversity Management Lab, SDA Bocconi School of Management,
Milan, Italy; Marilyn Y. Byrd, The University of Oklahoma; Dana M. Cotham, University
of Nevada Las Vegas; Andri Georgiadou, Hertfordshire Business School, University of
Hertfordshire; Paul H. Jacques, Rhode Island College; Keith James, Portland State
University; Alexia Panayiotou, University of Cyprus; Renee L. Roman, The Chicago
School of Professional Psychology; and Debra M. Seeberger, Towson University.

My family has been supportive through the long hours of working on this manuscript, and
for that, I am deeply grateful. I wish to thank my parents for being their wonderful selves
and for their continued support. I sorely miss them both, my mother for her wisdom,
selfless giving, insightful perspective on human nature, and endless love, and my father for
his courage and tenacity, for instilling in me the confidence to do the right thing and for
his unconditional love.

To my beloved children, Tomer and Shunit, and the wonderful addition to our family, Oz;
I am thankful to you all for your constant love and support and for engaging in interesting
conversations that helped me think through some ideas I was struggling with and the

22
insightful discussions around the dinner table during our Shabbat and holiday celebrations.
To Tamar, Doron, Limor, Yoel, Shir, Nir, Inbal, and Eden, I am so grateful that you are all
in my life. And to Jennifer, Ori, Mikah, Leah, Joseph, Naomi, Shay, Tzameret, Shir-Yam,
Yinon, Yarden, Jonathan, Ramit, Or, Aviv, Yarden, and Leah, and to the memory of our
beloved Tali, who continues to inspire us all. To my aunts, uncles, and cousins on four
different continents who exemplify a close-knit global family. I feel fortunate to have you all
in my life.

Most important, I wish to thank my husband, Ysrael Kanot, for helping me stay focused
and on track—even at times when the task seemed overwhelming—and for his continued
love, support, and enthusiasm for this project.

A test bank, PowerPoint slides, and more resources for instructors are available at
study.sagepub.com/morbarak4e.

23
1 Introduction and Conceptual Framework

What makes a successful manager? Chinese tradition divides human beings into four
classes, each with its own unique qualities: the shi (scholars) are learned and contemplate
vision and ethics, the nong (farmers) work the land and can provide for basic human needs,
the gong (artisans) are creative and strive for beauty and excellence, and the shang
(merchants) have strong ambition and a drive to succeed and to accumulate wealth.
According to Chinese ancient wisdom, it is only when one can combine the qualities of all
four classes—the vision and ethics of the scholars, the appreciation and respect for basic
human needs of the farmers, the creativity and drive for excellence of the artisans, and the
merchants’ ambition to make a profit—that one can become a successful manager.

When I interviewed him for this book, Mr. Kyung-Young Park, the chief vision officer
(CVO) of Harex,1 relayed this wisdom, which had been imparted to him by the honorary
chairman of his company, Mr. Seo. After a long discussion on diversity management and
the outsider’s misconception of the homogeneity of both Korean and Chinese societies
(“there are many differences among us that foreigners do not see—regional, for example”),
he concluded that managers could learn a great deal about managing diversity from that
Chinese teaching.

Indeed, effective diversity management should encompass these four principles: (a) like
scholars, managers must adopt an ethical learned approach to diversity, always aiming to
“do the right thing”; (b) like farmers, they must respect their employees’ unique
characteristics; and (c) like artisans, they must introduce creative solutions as they strive for
excellence in diversity management. These qualities, combined with the last principle—(d)

24
ambition to utilize diversity to promote business goals and profitability for the organization
—lay the groundwork for sound management. These interactive qualities—vision, ethics,
respect, creativity, business goal orientation, and striving for excellence—are, in essence, the
heart and soul of this book.

25
The Challenge of Managing Diversity in a Global Context
Successful management of today’s increasingly diverse workforce is among the most
important global challenges faced by corporate leaders, human resource managers, and
management consultants. Workforce diversity is not a transient phenomenon; it is today’s
reality, and it is here to stay. Homogeneous societies have become heterogeneous, and this
trend is irreversible. The problems of managing today’s diverse workforce, however, do not
stem from the heterogeneity of the workforce itself but from the unfortunate inability of
corporate managers to fully comprehend its dynamics, divest themselves of their personal
prejudicial attitudes, and creatively unleash the potential embedded in a multicultural
workforce.

The global economy moves diversity to the top of the agenda. Immigration, worker
migration (guest workers), and gender, religious, and ethnic differences continue to
dramatically change the composition of the workforce. There is a growing demand for
equal rights for these workers and for other groups like older workers, workers with
disabilities or nonaverage body weight, gays and lesbians, and workers with nontraditional
gender expression. Even without globalization, population projections suggest that the
trend to a diverse workforce will be amplified in the coming decades. For example, due to
consistently low birthrates and increased longevity, virtually all the more-developed
countries will need even larger waves of immigrants just to sustain their current ratio of
workers to retirees. At the same time, developing countries are experiencing an
unprecedented growth in the numbers of young people. The combination of push-and-pull
factors is moving all countries toward the same outcome: a more diverse workforce (United
Nations, 2011c).

Most large corporations in today’s global economy are international or multinational, and
even those that are not rely on vendors to sell to customers located outside their national
boundaries. For example, Virgin Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom, provides
services in sectors including hotel/travel/tourism, media/entertainment,
computer/IT/telecom, and transportation, and has main offices in Australia, Japan, the
United States, Singapore, and South Africa. With total revenues exceeding £13 billion (or
$21 billion), Virgin employs more than 50,000 people in 34 countries around the world
(Virgin Group, 2012).

In the context of the globalized economy, most large companies fall in the category of
multinational companies (MNC). The literature on international management includes
several typologies of MNC, which are useful for understanding, explaining, and conducting
empirical studies about the functioning of—and the interplay between—multinational
corporations, the countries in which they do business, and the challenges of managing in a
global context (Bartlett & Beamish, 2010; Bartlett & Ghoshal, 1998, 2002b; Harzing,

26
2000; Hordes, Clancy, & Baddaley, 1995; Rašković, Brenčič, & Jaklič, 2013; Rugman,
Verbeke, & Yuan, 2011). The specific strategies employed by different MNCs to handle
the global-local tension are often the determinant of the extent to which the company
makes national differences a virtue rather than a hindrance (Edwards, 2010).

The seminal typology offered by Bartlett and Ghoshal (1998; Bartlett, Ghoshal, &
Beamish, 2007; Berndt, 2014) is helpful as a general framework for understanding unique
corporate cultures relevant to global workforce diversity. The first is international
corporations with headquarters in one country and operations in one or more other
countries. Their strategy is based primarily on transferring and adapting the parent
company’s knowledge or expertise to foreign markets while retaining considerable influence
and control. This category of companies is characterized by an organizational culture
primarily influenced by the home country, particularly regarding human resource
management.

The second category is multinational corporations, in which the central corporate office still
has the dominant decision-making power but each national or regional operation has some
autonomy in business decisions. These companies develop strategic capabilities that allow
them to be very sensitive and responsive to differences in national environments around the
world. The company’s culture is less unified and rigid, compared with those of
international companies, and less dominated by one national culture.

The third form is global companies with headquarters that may be located in a specific
geographic region but with a team composed of managers across the globe jointly making
major business decisions. These companies are driven by their need for global efficiency
and typically treat the world market as an integrated whole (Bartlett & Ghoshal, 1998;
Bartlett et al., 2007). The corporate culture in this type of company is not dominated by
any one national culture.

In addition to strategic alliances and a wide-ranging business span, companies must be able
to utilize the diversity of their human resources to become truly global. This means that
they maximize human talents regardless of where their employees are located or their
national origin. Soliciting input from employees from varied backgrounds, with different
educations and life experiences, can positively impact a company’s external outputs
(products and customer service) and internal processes (company culture, management
policies) (Patrick & Kumar, 2012). As a first step to utilizing diversity, companies must
learn the human side of the global company. The training, orientation, and cultural
understanding needed for the management and employees of any company—national,
international, multinational, or global—include the deep understanding of individuals who
live in other national and cultural contexts and the ability to work within a global team
framework.

27
Tensions Posed by Global Workforce Trends
As a result of unbalanced fertility rates in different regions of the world, global
demographic trends are projected to create unprecedented workforce tensions. For example,
the United Nations expects that the working-age population of the more-developed
countries (as currently defined) will barely grow due to low fertility rates. In countries such
as Germany, Italy, Japan, or the Russian Federation, the United Nations expects fewer
people ages 15 to 64, based on population projections for 2025 and 2050 (United Nations,
2011c). Even if fertility rates increase in these countries, the current deficit in young people
cannot be replaced, except by immigration. To maintain their current working-age
population levels to the year 2050, these countries will need a few hundred thousand
immigrants every year. Historically, these relatively homogeneous societies have been
resistant to immigration, yet their current practices, induced by workforce decline, indicate
a tacit acceptance of it. Other developed countries, such as the United States, will have
more people in those ages but not enough to keep up with the pace of rapid population
growth throughout the developing world as today’s “youth explosion” in those regions
enters the working ages.

Given these contrasting growth rates, today’s more-developed countries can expect their
share of the world’s working-age population to drop from over 20% to 15% over the first
quarter of the century (see Chapter 4 of this book). In contrast, working-age populations
will continue to swell in developing countries as the substantial youth bulges produced by
high fertility rates in earlier decades reach working age. Developing countries have seen a
spurt in the size of young-adult populations in recent decades reflecting the widespread
adoption of the public health knowledge and practices of the mid–20th century that have
rapidly reduced mortality, especially for infants and youth. Although many migrants are
fleeing upheavals and even violence in their native lands, most are seeking economic
opportunities. With or without the transformation of economies in an increasingly global
context, it would be difficult for these countries to accommodate such a surge of young
adults into their labor force.

In most countries, people have become accustomed to having children survive, and fertility
rates have declined. So over the next 2 decades, this bulge should be absorbed virtually
everywhere except in Africa, which may contain more than one in four of the world’s
children in 2025 (United Nations, 2011c). Consequently, Africa may be the last frontier of
“excess” labor available for low-wage competition in its home countries, or to fill jobs in
developed countries that have fewer working-age people (see Chapter 4 of this book).

Women’s increased presence in the formal labor force has affected—and will continue to
affect—not only the workplace but also family and community life. Increasing numbers
and shares of women in the workplace may be the most important component of diversity

28
at the national level in most of the world. In particular, the gap between women’s and
men’s rates has been narrowing in most regions (International Labour Organization [ILO],
2011). Women’s share in the workforce grew significantly in Latin America, Western
Europe, and other developed regions during the past several decades. Historically, only a
small proportion of women could afford to remain outside the labor force, no matter what
their family responsibilities, but they tended to work as unpaid family labor, particularly in
agriculture or the informal economy. Even in countries where women have traditionally
been discouraged from working outside the home, they came to make up an increasing
share of the measured labor force. As a result, women’s economic activity rates are
increasingly similar around the world, except in regions where society constrains women’s
roles outside the home. Women’s increased presence is particularly evident in economies
where higher educational attainments are allied with higher earning prospects in the formal
economy. Thus, a country’s scale of development is a major determinant of women’s
presence in the workplace (ILO, 2011).

A particularly relevant aspect of current workplace trends is that women increasingly

migrate autonomously as workers, and women migrants equal or outnumber men in some
parts of the world. They are even becoming common in Asia, largely as a result of more
women workers migrating on their own. Rapid economic growth and structural changes in
the labor market that began in the 1980s and continued into the 21st century have
motivated women to independently migrate. Women migrants’ earnings now represent an
important source of income for their families at home. Contract labor migration is the most
rapidly increasing type of international migration in Asia, and women migrants are
concentrated in such female-dominated occupations as domestic helpers, entertainers,
salespersons, hotel and restaurant employees, and assembly-line workers.

The global economic trends that generate increased or decreased demands for workers in
different areas at different times create tremendous opportunities as well as hardships for
work organizations, individuals, and families. For example, the technology industry’s boom
in the 1990s created increased demand for skilled workers, and developed countries’
generally strong economies during those years created a multinational, multicultural
workforce that included many foreigners. Conversely, the global economy’s downturn in
the early 21st century, particularly the 2008 global financial crisis, has displaced many
immigrants from their jobs and placed them in limbo. Unable to extend their legal stay in
their host countries because their work visas were often linked to their original employer-
sponsors, workers were forced to return to their countries of origin, where there were no
jobs for them.

Global legislative trends banning discrimination against women, immigrants, minorities,

and other diverse groups in the labor force have required employers in most democratic and
quite a few nondemocratic countries to institute policies that ensure fair treatment of all
employees. Some countries have introduced public policies stemming from the ideology of
compensating population groups that have been discriminated against in the past.

29
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
chickens eating when you don’t talk. The noises make you nervous. I
should think anything would get by, even if you talked about the
weather. Otherwise it seems just like machinery at work. Rather
messy machinery, too.”
Baron seized an oar. “Perhaps when people are thoughtful, or
possibly troubled, it is a mark of good taste not to try to draw them
into a conversation.” He said this airily, as if it could not possibly
apply to the present occasion.
“A very good idea!” admitted Bonnie May, quite obviously playing the
part of one who makes of conversation a fine art. “But isn’t it also
true that people who are troubled ought to hide it, for the sake of
others, and not be a sort of—oh, a wet blanket?”
The elder Baron’s eyes twinkled in a small, hidden way, and Flora
tried to smile. There was something quite hopefully audacious in the
child’s behavior.
But Mrs. Baron stiffened and stared. “Good gracious!” she
exclaimed. After which she stirred her coffee with so much vigor that
a little of it ran over into the saucer, and even the spotless table-cloth
was menaced.
Baron undertook a somewhat sterner strategy. He felt that he really
must not permit the guest to add to her offenses against his mother.
“It might be sensible not to talk too much until a closer acquaintance
is formed,” he suggested with something of finality in his tone.
But Bonnie May was not to be checked. “A very good thought, too,”
she admitted, “but you can’t get better acquainted without
exchanging ideas—and of course talking is the only way.”
Baron leaned back in his chair with a movement resembling a
collapse. Hadn’t Thornburg said something about a white elephant?
“Wouldn’t it be fine if everybody wore a badge, or something, so that
you would know just how they wanted to be taken?” A meticulous
enthusiasm was becoming apparent. Mrs. Baron was sitting very
erect—a sophisticated, scornful audience, as she seemed to Bonnie
May.
“Absurd!” was Baron’s comment.
“Well, I don’t know. You pretty near know without any badges. You
can tell the—the mixers, and the highbrows. I mean when they are
the real thing—people worth while. I would know you for a mixer
easy enough. I don’t mean careless, you know; but willing to loosen
up a little if people went at you in the right way. And Flora would be a
mixer, too—a nice, friendly mixer, as long as people behaved.” Here
she turned with a heroic, friendly appeal to Mrs. Baron. “And Mrs.
Baron would be one of the fine, sure-enough highbrows.”
“I think,” began Mrs. Baron, suddenly possessed of an ominous
calm; but the guest made an earnest plea.
“Oh, please let me finish!” she begged.
“Very well,” said Mrs. Baron, “you may—finish.”
“You know I understand about your part in that entertainment this
morning. You don’t belong in that crowd. It’s like the queen who
kissed the soldier. She was high enough up to do it and get away
with it.” She placed her elbows on the table and beamed upon Mrs.
Baron with a look so sweetly taunting, and so obviously conciliatory,
that the others dared to hope the very audacity of it would succeed.
“Now don’t deny,” she continued, shaking an accusing finger at Mrs.
Baron and smiling angelically, “that you’re just a nice, sure-enough,
first-class highbrow!”
It was done with such innocent intention, and with so much skill, that
all the members of Mrs. Baron’s family turned their faces toward her
smilingly, appealingly, inquiringly.
But alas! Mrs. Baron failed to rise to the occasion. She was being
ridiculed—by a child!—and her children and her husband were
countenancing the outrage. Her composure vanished again.
She pushed her chair back from the table angrily. Her napkin fell to
the floor; she grasped the edge of the table with both hands and
stared at Bonnie May in a towering rage.
“You little wretch!” she cried. “You impudent, ungrateful little wretch!
You—you brand from the burning!”
She hurried from the room. In her blind anger she bumped her
shoulder against the door as she went out, the little accident robbing
her exit of the last vestige of dignity.
Bonnie May was horrified, crushed. She sat, pale and appalled, her
eyes fixed on the doorway through which Mrs. Baron had vanished.
Then she brought her hands together sharply and uttered a single
word:
“Hoo-ray!”
Every member of the family was electrified.
“Father!” expostulated Flora.
“Victor!” exclaimed the elder Baron.
And Baron, shaking his head sadly, murmured:
“Bonnie May! Bonnie May!”
 CHAPTER X
THE WHITE ELEPHANT

Mrs. Baron “took to her room,” as the saying is. For an hour or
more she might have been, to all intents and purposes, in some far
country.
She left an awed silence behind her.
“If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go and talk to Mrs. Shepard a while,”
said Bonnie May, not without significance. The atmosphere had
become too rarefied for her. She was turning from an inimical clan.
She was obeying that undying instinct which impelled the cavemen
of old to get their backs toward a wall.
Baron, Sr., prepared to go out. He turned to Victor and Flora as he
took his leave, and his whole being twinkled quietly. He seemed to
be saying: “Don’t ask me!”
Flora stole up to her mother’s room. She tapped at the door
affectionately—if one can tap at a door affectionately.
A voice muffled by pillows was heard. “Making hay,” it seemed to
say. Flora frowned in perplexity. Then her brow cleared and she
smiled wistfully. “Oh!” she interpreted, “‘Go away.’”
She went to Victor again.
“I suppose she’ll have to go,” she said, almost in a whisper.
“Oh, yes, certainly; yes, she’ll have to go,” agreed Victor firmly.
“And yet I can’t say it’s her fault.”
“You might say it’s her misfortune.”
“Yes.... Isn’t she—wonderful!”
“Oh, well, if two people simply can’t understand each other, that’s all
there is to it.”
“But she understands. She just talks too much. She won’t realize that
she’s only a child.”
“Oh, what’s the use!” exclaimed Baron. He thrust his hands into his
pockets and strolled through the house, up into the library.
He took down a copy of “Diana of the Crossways,” and opened it at
random, staring darkly at words which the late Mr. Meredith never
wrote:
“Why couldn’t she have made allowances? Why couldn’t she have
overlooked things which plainly weren’t meant to be the least
offensive?”
Obscurities, perhaps, but what does one expect of Meredith?
He meditated long and dejectedly. And then he heard his mother in
the sitting-room.
He put aside his book and assumed a light, untroubled air. “Better
have it out now,” he reflected, as he opened the door and went into
the sitting-room.
“Where is the Queen of Sheba?” asked Mrs. Baron.
Baron dropped into a chair. “You know I’m awfully sorry, mother,” he
said. There was a singular lack of real repentance in his tone.
“I don’t doubt that. Still, you might have taken me into your
confidence before you brought that little limb of Satan into the house.
I never heard of such a child. Never.”
“But you know what the circumstances were——”
“Don’t go into that again. I know that you brought her here, and that
there wasn’t any excuse for such a foolish action.”
“But, mother!” Baron’s face was heavy with perplexity. “She’s such a
little thing! She hasn’t got anybody to turn to when she’s in trouble.
My goodness! I think she’s done nobly—not whimpering once since
she came into the house. She’s probably—rattled! How would you or
I behave if we were in her shoes?”
Mrs. Baron’s eyebrows steadily mounted. “The point is, we’re not in
the slightest degree responsible for her. I want to know how we’re
going to get rid of her.”
Baron had taken a chair directly in front of his mother. Now he arose
and paced the floor. When he spoke his tone was crisp almost to
sharpness.
“It isn’t any more difficult now than it was yesterday,” he said. “I can
turn her over to the police.”
Something in his manner startled his mother. She flushed quickly.
“That’s just like you,” she protested. “What do you suppose people
would say if we turned a motherless child over to the police? You
ought to see that you’ve forced a responsibility on me!”
“Well, I should think it would be a question of what your own
conscience says. As for ‘people,’ I don’t see why anybody need
know anything about it.”
“And the newspapers and everything? Of course they would—
everything.”
“I could ask Thornburg to take her. He offered to help. I have an idea
he’d be only too glad to have her.”
“The theatre man—yes. And he’d dress her up in a fancy-ball
costume, and encourage her in her brazen ways, and she’d be
utterly shameless by the time she got to be a young woman.”
Baron sat down again with decision. “Mother, don’t!” he exclaimed.
“Thornburg isn’t that kind at all. He’d—he’d probably try to get at her
point of view now and then, and he might allow her to have certain
liberties. I think he’s broad enough to want her to be good without
insisting upon her being miserable!”
“Victor Baron!” warned his mother, and then she added with
decision: “Then you’d better get him to take her—and the sooner the
better.”
“That will be all right. To-morrow. I’ll call on him at his office to-
morrow. I’ve never met his family. I’d consider it an intrusion to go to
his house to-day, whether he did or not.”
This, of course, was spoken disagreeably, and Mrs. Baron resented
it. “You’re very obliging, I’m sure,” she said. “But after what I’ve gone
through I’ve no doubt I can wait until to-morrow.”

“No, it’s not that she has disappointed me,” responded Baron to a
question by Thornburg the next morning.
They were sitting in the manager’s office, and Baron had realized too
late that he should have waited until after luncheon, or for some
other more auspicious occasion, to have a confidential talk with
Thornburg. There were frequent interruptions, and the manager had
his mind upon the complicated business of amusement purveying,
rather than upon the welfare of a waif who, as he conceived it, had
become the hobby of a somewhat eccentric young man. A special
rehearsal was in progress in the theatre, and the voice of the stage-
manager, lifted in anger, occasionally reached them. It was a warm
morning, and many doors were open.
“The fact is,” Baron resumed, “I didn’t foresee the—the
complications. My mother has taken them into account, and it’s her
decision, rather than mine, that we ought to give her up.”
Thornburg turned hurriedly to examine, and then to approve, the
underline for a gorgeous poster of highly impressionistic design,
which one of his employees had placed before him. When he turned
to Baron again he presented the appearance of one who has lost the
thread of a conversation.
“We were saying—oh, yes. You’ve got enough of—of what’s her
name. Well, what’s your impression of her, now that you’ve had time
to look her over?”
“I haven’t changed my mind at all. I like her.”
“The family made a row?”
Baron answered evasively. “It isn’t quite a question of liking. It’s
something like trying to keep a canary in a suitcase, or putting a
lamb or a kitten into harness.”
Thornburg smiled. “Tell me just how she fails to square with the—the
domestic virtues,” he said.
“Her way of saying things—her views—she is so wholly
unconventional,” said Baron haltingly. “She doesn’t stand in awe of
her superiors. She expresses her ideas with—well, with perfect
liberty. You know children aren’t supposed to be like that. At least my
mother takes that view of the case.”
He so plainly had little or no sympathy with the argument he made
that Thornburg looked at him keenly.
“I see. She scratches the paint off!” interpreted the manager. He
smiled upon Baron exultingly.
“You might put it so,” agreed Baron, to whom the words were highly
offensive. What right had Thornburg to speak contemptuously of the
things which his family—and their kind—represented? He proceeded
coldly. “I understood that you felt some measure of responsibility. I
thought perhaps you might be willing to take her, in case we decided
it would be difficult for us to keep her.”
The manager pretended not to note the aloofness of the other’s
tone. “Now, if it were a matter of expense—” he began.
“It isn’t. She doesn’t seem at home with us. I think that states the
whole case.”
“How could she feel at home in the short time she’s been with you?”
“Then I might put it this way: She doesn’t seem congenial.”
“Of course that’s different. That seems to leave me out, as near as I
can see.”
“You mean,” said Baron, “you wouldn’t care to assume the
responsibility for her?”
“Why should I?” demanded Thornburg bluntly. He glared at Baron
resentfully.
“You’re quite right, certainly. I seem to have had the impression——”
“I have an idea she’s doing better with you than she would anywhere
else, anyway,” continued Thornburg in milder tones. “Why not give
her her place and make her stay in it? I can’t understand a family of
grown people throwing up their hands to a baby!”
“I merely wanted to get your views,” said Baron stiffly as he rose to
go. “I didn’t care to send for the police until——”
Thornburg got up, too. “Don’t understand that I wash my hands of
her,” he hastened to say. “It might not hurt me any for the public to
know that I didn’t do anything, under the circumstances, but it would
certainly be a boost for me to have it known that I went out of my
way to do a good deed. Of course if you won’t keep her——”
Baron turned and looked at him and waited.
“Look here, Baron, I’m going to be frank with you. When you took her
home, I was sore at you. Especially after you told me something
about her. I like them—children, I mean. You had taken her off my
premises. I thought about the big house I’ve got, and not a child in it,
and never to be, and I figured I might as well have taken her myself.
But there’s difficulties.” His expression became troubled. “Once
before I tried to take a child into the house and Mrs. Thornburg
objected. It was my own child, too.” He paused. “You know I’ve been
married twice.”
Baron’s thoughts went back a few years to the somewhat unpleasant
story of Thornburg’s divorce from an actress with whom he had
spent only a little more than one troubled year. The facts had been
public property. He made no reply.
Thornburg continued: “I’m in doubt as to how my wife would look at it
if I suggested that I’d like to bring this waif home. Of course, it’s just
possible she might not want to take a child of mine, and still be
willing to take in some outsider. You know what strange creatures
women are.”
Baron waited. Was Thornburg being quite frank with him—at last?
“You see the difficulty. The—the wife is likely to suspect that Bonnie
May is the same little girl I wanted to bring home before—that she’s
mine. She never saw the little daughter. I’d have to be careful not to
make her suspicious.”
“But the circumstances ... I don’t see how she could suspect
anything,” argued Baron.
“Not if I don’t seem too much interested. That’s the point. I’ll tell you,
Baron—you come out and see us. Me and my wife. Come to-night.
State the case to us together. Tell the plain truth. Explain how you
got hold of Bonnie May, and tell my wife your people have changed
their minds. That ought to make the thing clear enough.”
Baron, homeward bound, marvelled at Thornburg. It seemed strange
that a crude, strong man should feel obliged to shape his deeds to
please an ungracious, suspicious wife. He felt sorry for him, too. He
seemed to be one of those blunderers whose dealings with women
are always bewildering, haphazard experiments.
He had promised to call that evening—to lend his aid to the
manager. It was the sensible thing to do, of course. They had to get
rid of Bonnie May. Nothing was to be gained by debating that point
any further. And yet....
When he reached home he was hoping that his mother might, on
some ground or other, have changed her mind.
He speedily learned that she had done nothing of the kind.
Indeed, matters were a little more at cross-purposes than they had
been the night before. Mrs. Baron had tried again to make a dress
for the fastidious guest, accepting certain of Flora’s suggestions, and
the result of the experiment hadn’t been at all gratifying.
Baron received the first report of the matter from Bonnie May, who
was waiting for him at the foot of the stairs when he entered the
house.
“You will please make no unkind remarks about my new dress,” she
began, assuming the attitude of a fencer, and slowly turning around.
The subject—and the child’s frivolous manner—irritated Baron.
“Really, I think it’s very pretty and suitable,” he said.
“Not at all. It’s neither pretty nor suitable—though both words mean
about the same thing, when it comes to a dress. But it’s a great
improvement on that first thing. I told your mother that. I told her I’d
wear it until I got something better.”
Baron sighed. “What did she say to that?”
“She was offended, of course. But what was I to do? I can’t see that
I’m to blame.”
“But can’t you see that mother is doing the best she can for you, and
that you ought to be grateful?”
“I see what you mean. But I believe in having an understanding from
the beginning. She’s got her ideas, and I’ve got mine. She believes
you’re Satan’s if you look pretty—or something like that. And I
believe you ought to be Satan’s if you don’t.”
“But you do look—pretty.” Baron spoke the last word ungraciously.
He was trying to believe he would not care much longer what turn
affairs took—that he would have forgotten the whole thing in another
day or two.
He found his mother up-stairs.
“Well—any change for the better?” he asked.
“I’m sure I don’t know. That depends entirely upon what
arrangements you have made.”
“I think Thornburg will take her. He’s got to do a little planning.”
“People sometimes do before they bring strange children into their
houses,” Mrs. Baron retorted.
Baron realized that his mother was becoming more successful with
her sarcasm. He passed into the library. A mischievous impulse
seized him—the fruit of that last fling of his mother’s. He called back
over his shoulder. “If the perverse little thing is quite unendurable,
you might lock her up in the attic and feed her on bread and water
until she leaves.”
Mrs. Baron stared after him, dumfounded. “I’ll do nothing of the sort!”
she exclaimed. “She shall not be treated unkindly, as you ought to
know. We owe that much to ourselves.”
 CHAPTER XI
HOW A CONVEYANCE CAME FOR BONNIE MAY
—AND HOW IT WENT AWAY

True to his promise, Baron set aside that evening to call on the
Thornburgs.
As he emerged from the vestibule and stood for a moment on the top
step he noted that the familiar conflict between the departing daylight
and the long files of street-lamps up and down the avenue was being
waged. In the country, no doubt, this hour would be regarded as a
part of the day; but in the city it was being drawn ruthlessly into the
maw of night. There was never any twilight on the avenue.
Already countless thousands of people had had dinner, and were
thronging the avenue in that restless march which is called the
pursuit of pleasure.
He slipped into the human current and disappeared just a moment
too soon to observe that an automobile swerved out from its course
and drew up in front of the mansion.
A youthful-looking old lady with snowy hair and with small, neatly
gloved hands, pushed open the door and emerged. With the manner
of one who repeats a request she paused and turned.
“Do come in, Colonel,” she called into the shadowy recesses of the
car.
A gray, imposing-appearing man with a good deal of vitality still
showing in his eyes and complexion smiled back at her inscrutably.
“Go on,” he said, tucking his cigar beneath the grizzled stubble on
his upper lip, and bringing his hand down with a large gesture of
leisurely contentment. “You’ll be all right. I don’t mind waiting.”
And Mrs. Harrod proceeded alone to make her call.
By the most casual chance Mrs. Baron was standing at her sitting-
room window when the car stopped before the house, and when she
perceived that it was Mrs. Harrod—Amelia Harrod, as she thought of
her—who was crossing the sidewalk, she underwent a very
remarkable transformation.
So complete a transformation, indeed, that Bonnie May, who was
somewhat covertly observing her, sprang softly to her feet and
became all attention.
Mrs. Baron’s face flushed—the child could see the heightened color
in one cheek—and her whole attitude expressed an unwonted
eagerness, a childish delight.
The truth was that Mrs. Harrod was one of the old friends who had
seemed to Mrs. Baron to be of the deserters—one whose revised
visiting list did not include the Barons. And they had been girls
together, and intimates throughout their married lives—until the
neighborhood had moved away, so to speak, and the Barons had
remained.
It is true that, despite Mrs. Baron’s fancies, Mrs. Harrod had
remained a fond and loyal friend, though she had reached an age
when social obligations, in their more trivial forms, were not as easily
met as they had been in earlier years. And it may also be true that
something of constraint had arisen between the two during the past
year or so, owing to Mrs. Baron’s belief that she was being
studiously neglected, and to Mrs. Harrod’s fear that her old friend
was growing old ungracefully and unhappily.
Then, too, the Harrods had money. Colonel Harrod had never
permitted his family’s social standing to interfere with his money-
making. On the contrary. The Barons were unable to say of the
Harrods: “Oh, yes, they have money,” as they said of a good many
other families. For the Harrods had everything else, too.
“Oh, it’s Amelia!” exclaimed Mrs. Baron, withdrawing her eyes from
the street. She gave herself a quick, critical survey, and put her
hands to her hair, and hurried toward her room in a state of delighted
agitation.
She had not given a thought to Bonnie May. She did not know that
the child slipped eagerly from the room and hurried down the stairs.
Bonnie May was, indeed, greatly in need of a diversion of some sort.
Not a word had been said to her touching the clash that had
occurred at the table during the Sunday dinner. She did not know
that the machinery necessary to her removal from the mansion had
been set in motion; but she had a vague sense of a sort of rising
inflection in the atmosphere, as if necessary adjustments were in the
making. Perhaps her state of mind was a good deal like that of a
sailor who voyages in waters which are known to be mined.
However, she liked to go to the door to admit visitors, in any case.
There may have been, latent in her nature, a strong housekeeping
instinct. Or, perhaps, there seemed a certain form of drama in
opening the door to persons unknown—in meeting, in this manner,
persons who were for the time being her “opposites.” She assured
herself that she was saving Mrs. Shepard from the trouble of
responding from the kitchen; though she realized clearly enough that
she was actuated partly by a love of excitement, of encounters with
various types of human beings.
On the present occasion she had opened the door and stepped
aside, smiling, before Mrs. Harrod had had time to touch the bell.
“Come in,” she said. And when the visitor had entered she closed
the door softly. “Will you wait until I make a light?” she asked. “I’m
afraid we’ve all forgotten about the light.” The lower rooms had
become quite gloomy.
She had climbed upon a chair in the drawing-room, and touched a
match to the gas-burner before she could be questioned or assisted,
and for the moment the caller was only thinking how peculiar it was
that the Barons went on relying upon gas, when electricity was so
much more convenient.
“Please have a seat,” Bonnie May added, “while I call Mrs. Baron.”
She turned toward the hall. “Shall I say who it is?” she asked.
Mrs. Harrod had not taken a seat. When the light filled the room child
and woman confronted each other, the child deferential, the woman
smiling with an odd sort of tenderness.
“Who are you?” asked the visitor. Her eyes were beaming; the curve
of her lips was like a declaration of love.
“I’m Bonnie May.” The child advanced and held out her hand.
Mrs. Harrod pondered. “You’re not a—relative?”
“Oh, no. A—guest, I think. Nothing more than that.”
Mrs. Harrod drew a chair toward her without removing her eyes from
the child’s face. “Do sit down a minute and talk to me,” she said. “We
can let Mrs. Baron know afterward. A guest? But you don’t visit here
often?”
“This is my first visit. You see, I have so little time for visiting. I
happen not to have any—any other engagement just now. I was very
glad to come here for—for a while.”
“You haven’t known the Barons long, then?”
“In a way, no. But you know you feel you’ve always known really
lovely people. Don’t you feel that way?” She inclined her head a little;
her lips were slightly parted; her color arose. She was trying very
earnestly to meet this impressive person upon an equal footing.
“I think you’re quite right. And—how did you meet them? I hope you
don’t mind my asking questions?”
“Not in the least. I met Mr. Victor at a—a kind of reception he was
attending. He was lovely to me. He asked me to meet his mother.”
“How simple! And so you called?”
“Yes. That is, Mr. Victor came and—and brought me. It was much
pleasanter, his bringing me.”
She had wriggled up into a chair and was keeping clear, earnest
eyes upon the visitor. She was recalling Mrs. Baron’s agitation, and
she was drawing conclusions which were very far from being wholly
wrong.
“I think Victor’s a charming young gentleman,” declared Mrs. Harrod.
“He’s always doing something—nice.”
“Yes,” responded Bonnie May. She had observed that the visitor
paused before she said “nice.” Her eyes were alertly studying Mrs.
Harrod’s face.
“And your name is Bonnie May. Is that the full name, or——”
“Yes, that’s the full name.”
Mrs. Harrod pondered. “You’re not of the Prof. Mays, are you?”
“Why, I’m of—of professional people. I’m not sure I’m of the Mays
you’re thinking about.” She edged herself from her chair uneasily. “I
hope I haven’t forgotten myself,” she added. “I’m sure I should have
let Mrs. Baron know you are here. I think you didn’t say what the
name is?”
“I’m Mrs. Harrod. I hope you’ll remember. I would be glad if you’d be
a friend of mine, too.”
The child’s dilemma, whatever it had been, was past. She smiled
almost radiantly. “I’m very glad to have met you, Mrs. Harrod,” she
said. She advanced and extended her hand again. “I truly hope I’ll
have the pleasure of meeting you again.”
Then she was off up the stairs, walking sedately. It had meant much
to her that this nice woman, who was clearly not of the profession,
had talked to her without patronizing her, without “talking down” to
her.
A strange timidity overwhelmed her when she appeared at Mrs.
Baron’s door. “It’s Mrs. Harrod,” she said, and there was a slight
catch in her voice. “I mean, Mrs. Harrod has called. I let her in.”
Mrs. Baron, standing in her doorway, was fixing an old-fashioned
brooch in place. She flushed and there was swift mistrust in her
eyes. “Oh!” she cried weakly. The sound was almost like a moan. “I
thought Mrs. Shepard——”
“I didn’t tell her I was—I didn’t tell her who I was. I thought you would
rather I didn’t. I was just nice to her, and she was nice to me.”
She hurried away, then, because she wanted to be by herself. For
some reason which she could not understand tears were beginning
to start from her eyes. Mrs. Baron had not been angry, this time. She
had seemed to be ashamed!
She did not know that the old gentlewoman looked after her with a
startled, almost guilty expression which gave place to swift contrition
and tenderness.
Mrs. Baron did not descend the stairs. She was about to do so when
Mrs. Harrod appeared in the lower hall.
“Don’t come down!” called the latter. “I mean to have my visit with
you in your sitting-room.” She was climbing the stairs. “I don’t intend
to be treated like a stranger, even if I haven’t been able to come for
such a long time.” Shadows and restraints seemed to be vanishing
utterly before that advancing friendly presence. And at the top of the
flight of stairs she drew a deep breath and exclaimed:
“Emily Boone, who is that child?” She took both Mrs. Baron’s hands
and kissed her. “I told the colonel I simply wouldn’t go by without
stopping. He had an idea we ought to go to see—what’s the name of
the play? I can’t remember. It gave me a chance to stop. I seem
never to have the opportunity any more. But do tell me. About the
child, I mean. Do you know, I’ve never seen such a perfect little
human being in my life! She’s so lovely, and so honest, and so
unspoiled. Who is she?”
Mrs. Baron felt many waters lift and pass. Bonnie May hadn’t done
anything scandalous, evidently. And here was her old friend as
expansive, as cheerfully outspoken as in the days of long ago.
She found herself responding happily, lightly.
“A little protégée of Victor’s,” she said. “You know what a discoverer
he is?” They had entered the sitting-room. Mrs. Baron was thinking
again how good it was to have the old bond restored, the old friend’s
voice awaking a thousand pleasant memories.
But as Mrs. Harrod took a seat she leaned forward without a pause.
“Now do tell me about that—that cherub of a child,” she said.
In the meantime, Victor Baron was experiencing something like a
surprise to discover that Thornburg, the manager, seemed a new, a
different, sort of person, now that he was in his own home. He had
quite the air of—well, there was only one word for it, Baron supposed
—a gentleman.
The Thornburg home was quite as nice, even in the indefinable ways
that count most, as any home Baron was acquainted with. There
was an impression of elegance—but not too much elegance—in the
large reception-room. There was a general impression of softly
limited illumination, of fine yet simple furniture. The walls had a kind
of pleasant individuality, by reason of the fact that they were sparsely
—yet attractively—ornamented.
A grandfather’s clock imparted homeliness to one end of the room;
there was a restful suggestion in the broad fireplace in which an
enormous fern had been installed. Baron’s glance also took in a
grand piano of a quietly subdued finish.
Mrs. Thornburg alone seemed in some odd way out of harmony with
the fine, cordial picture in which Baron found her. She was a frail,
wistful woman, and because her body was ailing, her mind, too—as
Baron speedily discovered—was not of the sound, cheerful texture of
her surroundings.
“Ah, Baron!” exclaimed Thornburg, advancing to meet his guest as
the latter was shown into the room. “I’m glad to see you here.”
As he turned to his wife, to introduce the visitor, Baron was struck by
something cautious and alert in his manner—the manner of a man
who must be constantly prepared to make allowances, to take
soundings. He presented an altogether wholesome picture as he
looked alternately at his wife and his guest. His abundant, stubborn
gray hair was in comfortable disorder, to harmonize with the
smoking-jacket he wore, and Baron looked at him more than once
with the uncomfortable sense of never having really known him
before. He thought, too, how this brusque, ruddy man seemed in a
strange fashion imprisoned within the radius of an ailing wife’s
influence.
“Mr. Baron is the man who carried that little girl out of the theatre the
other day,” explained Thornburg. He turned again to Baron with a
casual air: “Do you find that your people still want to let her go?”
He was playing a part, obviously; the part of one who is all but
indifferent. Mrs. Thornburg scrutinized the visitor’s face closely.
“Yes, I believe they do,” replied Baron.
“I’ve been talking to Mrs. Thornburg about the case. She
understands that I feel a sort of responsibility. I think I’ve about
persuaded her to have a look at the little girl.”
Mrs. Thornburg seemed unwilling to look at her husband while he
was speaking. Baron thought she must be concealing something.
She was gazing at him with an expression of reproach, not wholly
free from resentment.
“Hasn’t the child any relatives?” she asked. She seemed to be
making an effort to speak calmly.
“I really can’t answer that,” said Baron. “She seems not to have. She
has told me very little about herself, yet I believe she has told me all
she knows. She has spoken of a young woman—an actress—she
has travelled with. There doesn’t appear to have been any one else.
I believe she never has had a home.”
Mrs. Thornburg withdrew her gaze from him. She concerned herself
with the rings on her thin, white fingers. “How did you happen to be
with her in the theatre?” she asked.
“I was in one of the upper boxes. I don’t know how she came to be
there. I believe she couldn’t find a seat anywhere else.”
“And you’d never seen her before?”
“Never.”
There was an uncomfortable silence. Both Thornburg and Baron
were looking interestedly at Mrs. Thornburg, who refused to lift her
eyes. “I wonder how you happened to take her to your home?” she
asked finally.
Baron laughed uneasily. “I’m wondering myself,” he said. “Nobody
seems to approve of what I did. But if you could have seen her!
She’s really quite wonderful. Very pretty, you know, and intelligent.