"You bet I didn't. I was in an awful hole. I got that letter from my father just before we left the house, and I was all upset over it. I didn't know what to do. It was bad enough to be visiting you without being shown all through your father's business plant as if I were an honored guest. It didn't seem as if I ought to go at all. If your father knew who I was he certainly couldn't want me to; and if he didn't it was worse yet. At first I thought the only honorable thing was to go straight to him and have it out; but I found I hadn't the nerve. Then I thought I'd ride with you to the factory and not go in. What I dreaded was that we might run into something that I should have no right to see, and that was precisely what happened." "So that was the reason you stopped Mr. Hennessey when he started to tell us the chemical formula?" "Yes. He said it was a secret, and it seemed to me it would be wrong for me to listen. If I didn't know what that formula was I certainly couldn't tell it, and ignorance might help me out of an awkward position if any one should try to persuade me to." "You are a trump, old man." "It was only the square thing toward your father; he has been straight with me and I want to show him that I can be a gentleman, too." The boys were silent for an interval; then Bob said: "Now about this snarl, Van--what are we going to do? Certainly we fellows are not going to let this feud of our fathers affect us." "Not by a jugful!" retorted Van with spirit. "The thing for us to do is to go right on being friends as if nothing had happened. It will make it all the easier that your father knows just who I am, and my father knows exactly who you are; it is franker and more in the open to have it so. If worse comes to worse we can talk the whole thing out with our families, and tell them how we feel. I am sure both your father and mine are too big to spoil a friendship like ours because of some fuss they had years and years ago. No, sir! I'm going to hold on to you, Bobbie, and," he added shyly, "I'm going to hold on to your father, too, if he'll let me, for I like him." "I'm glad you like Dad," Bob said, flushing with pleasure. "I do myself." "My dad isn't so bad, either," Van ventured with a dry little smile. "Some time you shall see for yourself." "I hope so." "Then it is agreed that we'll stick together, no matter what happens," said Van solemnly. "Sure thing!" "Promise." "You may bank on me," was Bob's earnest answer. CHAPTER VII MR. CARLTON MAKES A WAGER AND WINS As the boys sat at dinner that evening Mr. Carlton inquired about their trip to the refinery, and with a humorous twinkle in his eye added: "I do not suppose you would care to put in another day on factory visiting, would you?" "What do you mean, Dad?" asked Bob.