r--which meant that he was about to
conquer the city government. It was high time to stop him and, if
possible, to give his talents better employment.

However, Hastings, after the familiar human fashion, honestly thought
he was showing generosity, was going out of his way to "give a likely
young fellow a chance." When he came out on the veranda he stretched
forth a graciously friendly hand and, looking shrewdly into Victor's
boyishly candid eyes, said:

"Glad to see you, young man. I want to thank you for ending that
strike. I was born a working man, and I've been one all my life and,
when I can't work any more, I want to quit the earth. So, being a
working man, I hate to see working men make fools of themselves."

Jane was watching the young man anxiously. She instinctively knew that
this speech must be rousing his passion for plain and direct speaking.
Before he had time to answer she said: "Dinner's waiting. Let's go in."

And on the way she made an opportunity to say to him in an undertone:
"I do hope you'll be careful not to say anything that'll upset father.
I have to warn every one who comes here. His digestion's bad, and the
least thing makes him ill, and--" she smiled charmingly at him--"I HATE
nursing. It's too much like work to suit an upper-class person."

There was no resisting such an appeal as that. Victor sat silent and
ate, and let the old man talk on and on. Jane saw that it was a severe
trial to him to seem to be assenting to her father's views. Whenever
he showed signs of casting off his restraint, she gave him a pleading
glance. And the old man, so weazened, so bent and shaky, with his bowl
of crackers and milk, was--or seemed to be--proof that the girl was
asking of him only what was humane. Jane relieved the situation by
talking volubly about herself--her college experiences, what she had
seen and done in Europe.

After dinner Hastings said:

"I'll drive you back to town, young man. I'm going in to work, as
usual. I never took a vacation in my life. Can you beat that record?"

"Oh, I knock off every once in a while for a month or so," said Dorn.

"The young fellows growing up nowadays ain't equal to us of the old
stock," said Martin. "They can't stand the strain. Well, if you're
ready, we'll pull out."

"Mr. Dorn's going to stop a while with me, father," interposed Jane
with a significant glance at Victor. "I want to show him the grounds
and the views."

"All right-