he was
talking, Tom realized with a disagreeable shock that of late there had
been no insurance written, none whatever. He had given the matter no
thought, but such was undoubtedly the case, and in his daughter's words
he felt a rebuke. Now he could not abide rebukes; he had never
permitted anybody to criticize him. For once that unconscious
irritation that had been slowly accumulating within him flamed up. It
was an irritation too vague, too formless to put into words, especially
inasmuch as words did not come easily to Tom Parker when he was mad.

Without further comment the old man pulled his gray wide-awake lower
over his eyes and limped out of the room. But he did not go to Judge
Halloran's office; he was too sore to risk further offense at the hands
of one who took malicious delight in antagonizing him, so he walked the
streets. The more he pondered "Bob's" accusation--and accusation it
surely was--the angrier he became; not at her, of course, for she was
blood of his blood, his other and better self; but angry at himself for
allowing the reins to slip out of his fingers. He was the head of the
firm. It was due to his ripe judgment and keen common sense that the
business ran on; his name and standing it was that gave it stability.
Perhaps he had permitted the girl to do more than her share of the
work, and hence her inclination to take all the credit for their joint
success was only natural, but it was time to change all that; time to
turn a big deal without her assistance. That was the thing to do,
handle the Jackson lease in his own way and turn it over for a price
far in excess of seventy-five thousand dollars. Anybody could sell
things for less than they were worth, but it took real ability to
realize their full value. Here was a snap, a chance to clean up big
money--"Bob" said so--why not, then, take over the lease for himself
and her, pay something down, hold it for a few weeks, and then resell
it at a staggering profit? Such things were being done--Tom did not
know just how, but he could easily find out--and there were several
thousand dollars in the bank to the firm's account. If that was not
enough to meet the first payment he could probably get Bell Nelson to
give him another mortgage on something. Or was it he that would have to
give the mortgage to Bell? It didn't matter. The thing to do was to
jump out to the Extension, buy the well, and show "Bob" that he was as
good a business man as she--better, i