Suddenly Mrs. Curtis moved towards him. "Obadiah Dale"--she spoke so gently that it was hard to recognize her as the one who had so recently flung the accusations at him--"a moment ago I told you that I could not forgive you. I was wrong. Your daughter told you that it would have been her mother's way to have brought laughter and joy to me instead of sorrow and tears. That which your daughter has done for my son, Charles Augustus, fills my heart with joy and brings laughter to my lips. She has followed her mother's way. I can't believe that any man altogether bad could be the father of such a daughter." She held out her hand to him. "I forgive you." "When I was at the office of the Board of Health, yesterday, Virginia," Joe announced, as one discussing a topic of great personal interest, "I was told that your father had agreed to keep the mill waste out of the river." There was a scream of delight, and a teary Virginia launched herself into her father's arms, giving happy cries of endearment. In a moment she faced Mrs. Curtis, and cried, "He's perfectly grand. He'll do anything to right your wrongs." Mrs. Curtis smiled. "I think that we had better let your father forget my troubles for a moment," she urged. "Land sakes," ejaculated Aunt Kate in a loud whisper, "I'm glad to see that woman laugh. I was afraid that she loved her troubles so much she wouldn't give them up." "Hush, mother, she'll hear you," expostulated Helen. Thus repressed, Aunt Kate delivered a moral lesson to Charles Augustus in a voice heard all over the room. "It is easier to receive thanks for doing nice things, Charles, than to have to beg forgiveness for doing mean ones." Fortunately Obadiah, diligently engaged at that moment in erasing the past, was deaf to his sister's remarks. He told Mrs. Curtis, "I'll re-open the Brenton mill as soon as I can have it overhauled. I can use it on some contracts I have. The profits shall be yours. When you can repay the amount of the notes from them, I'll transfer the mill back to you. If you wish, I'll buy it from you or rent it until your son is capable of assuming charge of it." He faced Joe and said, "I understand that you'll graduate from college this June. There'll be a position waiting for you in my mill." "In South Ridgefield?" Virginia inquired anxiously. Obadiah gave his daughter a keen glance and then stared at Joe appraisingly before he answered. "Yes, in South Ridgefield, until his mother wants him to take charge of her own business. By that time, if he has brains and follows my plans for him, he should be the finest young mill executive in this part of the country." The youthful Charles Augustus came under the mill owner's eye. "I'll see that every expense connected with the operation upon this young man is paid. We don't want outsiders in on that." He perceived Helen. "Well, well, how you have grown," he declared in surprise. "You want to be a teacher. I'll send you to college."