The Son of his Father

eon of finance about to embark upon a market-breaking scheme in which the brilliancy of his ma

n of his responsibilities obscured the Napoleonic image, and raised up in hi

iderable, and the greater joy of the companionship and trust of h

ip as laid out by a well-known firm of town planners from New York under Mallinsbee's orders and under State supervision. He spent one entire day in studying the drawn plans, and, finally,

osely, discovering in the process that he possessed a faculty for clear reasoning altogether surprising. Furthermore, he discovered that Mallinsbe

ery simply but effectively. After having marked off the town sites he required for himself he had then offered, and sold, to pretty well every landowner in Snake's Fall a certain allotment of sites at a mer

ould command with the coal people, who regarded him in the friendliest spirit. However, there was difficulty here, though the difficulty was not insurmountable. Their engineers were at work already on the plans to be put into almost immediate operation for the construction of a private

would accept Buffalo Point as the new city. In the meantime the coal people's construction would be held up, and they would assist him with all the influence they could command in persuading the railroad. This concession was not unaided

ed this agreement, and, at the same time, the railroad had been induced to move in the matter. All along he had triumphed through t

e or less plain sailing. All that remained was to go on, with the grafting hand thrust ready into the pocket for all eventualities,

leties of human nature lying behind human effort and intention. He had reckoned witho

l had arrived during the visit. The second time he had had another interview with Silas Mallinsbee. It was immediately after that

Mallinsbee's own statement of

of Gordon's formal address. "If that feller gets around he

angry light shining in the man's eyes. With one eye covered his face had almost been expression

oftened to a smi

ne-eyed man? No? Wal, I did-once. An' I ain't recovered from all he taught me yet. He taught me that two eyes can just about give away double as much as one. Which, in financial dea

ded up the plan of the

avid Slosson. Say, is he sm

d cumbersomely over to the doorway, and

other we'll know later. Say, I'm open to graft anybody on this thing-reasonably. It'

said Gordon, drawing some letter-pap

, moodily gazing out at the hil

done that, and their favor's fixed right, it's blackmail if their servants come along and refuse to carry out their work if you don't pay their price. This feller Slosson is a servant of the railroad. I'm ready to graft all they need. He's out for blackmail. That fe

, as Gordon met the man's serious, obstinate expression, he realized

y, if he had been a-man, if Silas Mallinsbee had been used to affairs such as his father dealt in-well-. Bu

him playing our

a straight bid for a win. He couldn'

great cordiality i

e got to play

roposition,"

"Maybe I'll hand him over to Hazel." Then he gave anothe

es lit appr

that," he said

bee fac

She's as wise as any two men. A

h. But-she's a girl, and-I don'

olling figure in the doorway with an alarm he would not have displayed had he been facing

th a shadowy smile. "Guess

at that moment. He understood the depth of her devotion to her f

became lost in his delight at

y," he heard

his eyes upon the fresh beauty of this girl,

her to pass in, and Gordon had

ior partner?"

ice into a twelve-foot ring and-hurt some

lled a l

ck to her father. Then she added playfully: "

an began

pants," he added, his twinkling eyes on the determined features of his protégé. "Guess I'll get goin' out to t

of David Slosson for the present. And Gordon was not sorry for his going. He felt that at all costs his

g with all a man's-a young man's-assurance that this girl wou

gainst the leg of her top boot. Her prairie hat was thrust back from her for

s the man had come to regard as a part of her n

ack into he

on a joint purpose can't see t

have already started an argume

n lau

ttle it, though-

If you can

do a

re's the

isn't

egan to

you say t

t was you wh

mile had

y. And Gordon began to wish she were not so

stant thorn," h

been her

on n

the r

rate. Says he won't

on abated

't thi

s her father had occupied. Gordon's eyes watched her every movement. He knew she was considering deeply, and intuition warned him that the result of

on it. Her pretty lips were firmly set, and she gazed soberly

light, expressive shrug: "It won't be pleasant-not by quite a lot. But-i

ving to defile herself by cajoling a creature like this Slosson moved him to a pitch of distraction. Whatever else he did no

ed in his ingenuous face, "I'd rather let this thing go plumb smash than that you should be brought into c

himsically down int

rd so that their faces were within a foot of each other. "You two Solomons can't deal with him worth two cents. My daddy's too obstina

ed Gordon, in exasperation. And the next

apped he

in his wisdom thought of me, and you-you being just a big,

. That which lay behind them was completely hid

himself in her attitude, he now made it beyond question

o sacrifice yourself," he crie

at?" she demanded. Then in a moment her merry thought banished the clouds of her displeasure. She began to tease. "Why sho

nequal to her teasing on such a s

g," Hazel u

a little helplessly. Their eyes met, and someh

to laugh in sp

t, with a shrug. "But I tell you, right here, if you were my si

aint old daddy as I have? I'm sure you would. What does it matter to me what I may have to put up with if I can help him out? True, it doesn't matter a thing. Insults? Why, I'll just deal with them as they come along." Then her mood lightened. "Say, we're just two real good friends, Mr. Van Henslaer, aren't we? Friends. It's got a bully sound. That's just how my daddy and I've been ever since my poor momma died years and years ago. Heigho!" she sighed. "And now I've got another friend, and that's you. Say, we're always going to be friends, too, because you're going to

no words of his were necessary to illuminate it, but

a little desperately. "If anything happened to you

lso an expression of her regard for him. She had no intention of

osson is to be encouraged. He's to be flattered. I'm going to make him smile real prettily with that mealy face of hi

at Hazel's side, basking in her smiles, enjoying her company just when and where he pleased. The thought was maddeni

o on for?" he asked sulki

eyes ope

akens, and we ge

e beats y

t, and then we'll have t

ll get busy on t

ll be

ards the window. His ey

lting you. I know his kind. He'll insult you, sure. And I-well, I shal