"Oh, I've been having the best-est time!" the little girl cried to the baby's mother. "Me and my friend's been to the life saving station. And just think! I've been saved from a wreck (course, 'twas a make-believe wreck) and Cephas gave me a ride in an aeroplane made like a big pair of pants. What do you know about that?" She had seized the Griffin's hand with both of hers and swung upon it. Her confidence in his kindness and the baby's evident approval of the man, made Mrs. Joe Bassett take thought. If the children so loved him, he could not be utterly bad after all. She began to look at him with more speculative eyes. He was Joe's father. There must be some of Joe's better traits in his character. And she had loved Joe at the very first for his single-heartedness and his gentle manner. The baby, squirming in her arms, tried to go to his grandfather once more. She observed in the man's eyes the reflection of unshed tears! That grim face was but a mask, after all. Back of the man's apparent harshness his nature was softening to the influence of childish affection. The baby and Carolyn May! The young woman began to appreciate what was going on beneath the surface of the Griffin's rugged nature. CHAPTER XXX IT ALL COMES OUT RIGHT Upon that tableau, flying down the steep path with a step lighter than she had heard it for many a long day, came the pale lady's husband--or, as Carolyn May would call him to the end, "Baby Laird's father." "Girl," he cried, "I've put it through! Barzilla is up there trying to make Molly I. understand the good news. I wrote Harvey Deering and he made no bones of lending me the money. I could not tell you until I was sure. We'll not have to go to Arizona after all. Harvey has sent a certified check for two thousand and his blessing, and the firm of Bassett and Ball is already born. By gad! Whom have we here?" His wife had stumbled against him, her strength going from her; he caught both her and the baby in his arms. He flashed a second glance at the man who stood before them so straight and uncompromising--but much greyer and older than when Joe Bassett had seen his father last. "So, I have been making friends with my own grandson, have I?" said the Griffin grimly. "And without knowing it!" "I fancied so," Joe Bassett replied. "I only discovered the other day that it was you and the _mater_ who had taken such a liking to little Laird. My wife didn't know." "'Laird,' eh? We never called _you_ that, Joe. I'd almost forgotten you had a middle name. Humph!" muttered his father. "And this is why the baby's father did not come to see me to talk over a loan, is it?" "It is," responded his son shortly. "Your mother is awfully taken with the baby, Joe," said the older man, almost wistfully. "She has been quite cut-up that his father would accept no favour from me." "How about if she had known who I was?" asked the young man bitterly.