ain if it was."

Mr. Galbraith laughed.

"Workshops do not need cleaning, do they, Mr. Spence?" said he. "I
remember the chaos my father's tool-house always was in; it never was
in order and we all liked it the better because it wasn't."

Celestina sighed and turned away.

"Ain't it just the irony of fate," murmured she to Bob, "that after
slickin' up every room in the house so'st it would be presentable,
Willie should tow them folks from New York out into the woodshed? I
might 'a' saved myself the trouble."

Robert Morton slipped a comforting arm round her ample waist.

"Never you mind, Aunt Tiny," he whispered. "The Galbraiths have rooms
enough of their own to look at; but they haven't a workshop like
Willie's."

He patted her arm sympathetically and then, giving her a reassuring
little squeeze to console her, followed his guests.

It had not crossed his mind until he went in pursuit of them that if
they visited the shop they must perforce be brought face to face with
Willie's latest invention still in its embryo state; and it was evident
that in the pride of entertaining such distinguished strangers the
little old man had also forgotten it, for as Bob entered he caught
sight of him fumbling awkwardly with a piece of sailcloth snatched up
in a hurried attempt to conceal from view this last child of his
genius. He had not been quick enough, however, to elude the
capitalist's sharp scrutiny, and before he could prevent discovery the
eager eyes had lighted on the unfinished model on the bench.

"What are you up to here?" demanded Richard Galbraith.

There was no help for it. Willie never juggled with the truth, and
even if he had been accustomed to do so it would have taken a quicker
witted charlatan than he to evade such an alert questioner. Therefore
in another moment he had launched forth on a full exposition of the
latest notion that had laid hold upon his fancy.

Mr. Galbraith listened until the gentle drawling voice had ceased.

"By Jove!" he ejaculated. "You've got an idea here. Did you know it?"

The inventor smiled.

"Bob an' I kinder thought we had," returned he modestly.

"Bob is helping you?"

"Oh, I'm only putting in an oar," the young man hastened to say. "The
plan was entirely Mr. Spence's. I am simply working out some of the
details."

"Bob knows a good deal more about boats than perhaps he'll own," Mr.
Galbraith asserted to Willie. "I fancy you've found that out already.