pany broke up, or they
found the plan was not feasible, or something, and they abandoned it.
So Mr. Wentworth isn't doing anything, at present. But he is a fine
fellow--so jolly, and so good looking, and he has a wonderful war
record. He was with the engineers in Russia."

"U-m-m, where d'ye get hold of his war record?"

"Why--why--he--he has told us about the things they did--his company."

"Um--hum," Old John was stroking his nose.

"But, if he's civil engineer, an' out of a job, you might tell him to
stop in a minute--after he gets the right color of a toboggan cap
picked out."

III

When the door closed behind the girl old John readjusted his nose
glasses and leaned back in his chair. "A clever engineer he is, beyond
a doubt," he mused. "For I kept my eye on him while he was layin' out
Orcutt's Nettle River project. If he'd made a botch of the job 'twould
have saved me offerin' my plant to the city. But he has the look of a
man ye couldn't trust in the dark--an' 'twould be clever engineerin' to
marry a million. I'll set him a job that'll show the stuff that's in
him. If he's a crook, I'll give him the chance to prove it." Reaching
into a pigeon-hole of his desk, McNabb withdrew a thick packet of
papers and removed the rubber band.

A few moments later Jean entered, the office followed by a rather well
set up young man, whose tiny mustache was chopped square, like a
miniature section of box hedge. "This is Mr. Wentworth, Dad,"
introduced the girl. "And now I'll leave you two men, because Oskar
has promised to help me pick out a coat, and it's after ten o'clock.
And, by the way, Dad, what kind of a coat shall I get? I want a good
one."

"I'll warrant ye do! Well, just you tell Oskar to let you pick out a
pony, or a crummer, or a baum marten, or a squirrel. They're all good."

As the door closed behind his daughter, old John McNabb motioned the
younger man to a chair. "My daughter tells me you're an engineer," he
began.

"Yes, sir, temporarily unemployed."

"Come up here on the Nettle River project, I hear. What's the matter?
Couldn't you dam the river?"

"Oh, yes. The Nettle River presents no serious engineering problem. I
spent four months on the ground and reported it favorably, and then all
of a sudden, I was informed that the project had been abandoned, at
least for the present. The trouble, I presume, was in the financing.
It certainly was not because of any physical obsta