“I don’t see how you can possibly hate and despise me already! Why, it always takes people years to do that, and very few ever accomplish it at all, after a life of earnest effort. I must reluctantly hand it to you for a fast and snappy worker!” He dropped his gaze to Gloriana-Virginia who had slipped a comforting hand into his. “Glory,” he lowered his voice, “what is the matter with this young woman? First she gives me the right hand of fellowship and endeavors to date me out and then-- Is she quite all right, mentally, do you think? So young, so fair, and yet so--” he raised his wistful eyes to the doctor’s daughter once more and considered her in a long, reproachful scrutiny. Then at the swift illumination of a thought he flung back his head and laughed long and heartily, and Glory’s wise little face registered happy relief. “By gad,” he gasped, “by gad, you know I believe _you_ sent me that article in _The Torch_!” Glen Darrow gave him back his look with one of scorn and loathing before she answered him, very steadily, without lifting her voice. “_I wrote it!_” CHAPTER XIV _Peter soaks up impressions and rather fancies himself as a comedian, but neither Glen Darrow nor Henry Clay Bean find him funny._ MR. ’GENE CAREY was at first petulantly annoyed at the unannounced visit of his young partner. “What’s he want to come bursting in on us like this for, Luke? Why couldn’t he write and tell us, and see if it was convenient? What’s the telegraph for? Now I suppose there’ll be the deuce to pay, when he finds out how behind we are!” But the superintendent, who had reported promptly, before Peter Parker had made his call, was inclined to take the matter more lightly. Young Mr. Parker, he stated with a curling lip, was not the sort to take an intelligent interest in details; he had come, he said, to please his mother, and he would, Luke felt sure, go--very swiftly--to please himself. “All he wants to do, sir, is fool round and talk to the young ones. He won’t bother us at all. Said himself he was a plumb fool about machinery; didn’t even want me to show him over the mill and explain things. No, sir, I figure that after we just tell him about Ben Birdsall, and how pinched we’ve been, he’ll be satisfied. After all, with his money, this little old mill’s just a drop in the bucket!” The old gentleman wagged his head. “Yes, but his daddy was mighty careful to count the drops, Luke! There wasn’t one leaked away that he didn’t spot it!” “Well, this kid isn’t like that, sir. If you want my opinion, he don’t hardly know he’s alive! I think if we just treat him right, and let him poke around to suit himself----”