," he said, "you're a wonder an' I ain't got no more to say ag'in'
your doin' this work here. Go ahead with it your own way. But this I am
abossin': to-morrow's half day, I reckon, so both o' you come over to
the house nigh 'long about noon an' set at dinner with us. You're more'n
welcome."

CHAPTER XIII

COUNTER INFLUENCES

Thereafter, having been fully convinced by the demonstration and fully
assured of the precise accuracy in the work on the power plant, Mr.
Hooper treated the boys with the utmost consideration and confidence.
The owner of the great estate came down to see them every day and
chatted as familiarly as though he had been a lifelong crony of their
own age. From time to time the boys were taken to dinner at the big
house; they were given access to the library, and they found some time
for social and sportive pastimes with the young folks whom Grace invited
to her home.

Throughout all this Bill shone as an entertainer, a mental uplift that
was really welcome, so spontaneous and keen were his talks and comments
on people and things. Gus, though having little practice, held his own
at tennis and golf; in swimming races and other impromptu sports he
greatly excelled; and when a young fellow who bore the reputation of an
all-round athlete came for the week-end from the city, Gus put on the
gloves with him and punched the newcomer all over an imaginary ring on
the lawn to the delight of Mr. Hooper, Grace and Skeets, as well as the
admiring Bill.

Throughout all this, also, there was an element of ill feeling, an often
open expression of antagonism toward the boys, which probably the other
guests all tensed unpleasantly, but which the contented, jovial host and
his impetuous and volatile daughter hardly recognized or thought of.
Thaddeus, the thin-faced, pale, stoop-shouldered, indolent,
cigarette-smoking nephew, though often treated with slight courtesy,
continually pushed himself to the front, compelling consideration
apparently for the sole purpose of exerting a counter-influence upon the
popularity of Bill and Gus, especially the latter. The youth even went
so far at times as to attempt an interference in the power-plant work,
declaring that it did not proceed rapidly enough and that certain
methods were at fault, to all of which Mr. Hooper turned a deaf ear.

There was nothing else but open warfare between Grace and Thad, Skeets
also echoing the daughter's hostility, while the nephew easil