"I don't want you to take my word for it," Jackson retorted. "Besides, I'd like to have your wife meet my wife!" "So would I," said Skinner. He paused a moment. Right here was the bit of humble pie that Jackson had prepared to eat, if necessary, but taken from the hand of a cordial fellow like Skinner, it would n't be so hard, after all. "Skinner, you 're a good fellow--so am I a good fellow. I like you. There's no reason why we should n't be friends--personally--you understand." "Mr. Jackson," said Skinner, "you're a frank man. I'm going to be frank with you. I don't feel that it would be loyal to my firm if I should accept your hospitality, under the circumstances. It's all well enough to be impersonal, separate business life from social life but"--and here he began to butter the humble pie that he had felt it to be inevitable that Jackson should eat--"you stood mighty well with our house. You've got a great reputation. It was most important to us. We did everything we could to please you. After the break came, we went the limit in the way of eating humble pie to get you back again. But you set your face against us hard. I might even waive that, but just you look at it yourself." Skinner laughed. "You know you did n't treat McLaughlin very well--and the curious part was, McLaughlin was always very fond of you personally." At the last words Jackson capitulated. "See here, you and the Missus come out to dinner to-morrow night and we'll talk things over." Skinner hesitated. "I've thought this all out," said Jackson. "The Starr-Bacon folks have been figuring on that bunch of machinery that I'm going to get in. Here's what they say. Can you meet those figures?" Skinner looked over the memorandum Jackson handed him and made a quick calculation. "Yes," said he, "we can meet them." "The order is yours." "I won't take it," said Skinner, "unless you throw in that trout dinner." That night Skinner wired McLaughlin and Perkins, Inc., that he'd caught the bear and was bringing the hide home with him--the hide being the fattest order that that concern had had for many a day. Then he jotted down in his little book:-- _Dress-Suit Account_ _Debit_ _Credit_ Landed one curmudgeon! Bait used--domestic tranquillity! Method--did n't use any! Just stood off and waited, and he landed himself. CHAPTER XI THE OSTRICH FEATHER When Skinner entered the office of McLaughlin & Perkins, Inc., two days later, he found that the partners had arranged a reception committee of two to welcome him.