“We’ll have him to dinner, Lady-bird,” Mr. Carey addressed his daughter. “Or--better still--we’ll have him move right up here from the Bella Vista, that’s what we’ll do! Good idea, Luke?” His henchman heartily approved. “That’ll spike his guns,” the senior partner chuckled. “You go telephone right this minute, Lady-bird! Can’t raise much of a row about things when he’s eating our salt, eh, Luke?” “No, sir,” his lieutenant approved once more. “I’ll be getting back, sir--million things to see to, and the power was off for an hour just when we’re snowed under with rush orders!” “Too bad, Luke, too bad! Mighty trying on you, I know that, and you shouldering the burden all alone. But it won’t be long, now! I’m getting out in the garden every day, Luke.” He brightened. “Sounds good--‘rush orders!’ Things certainly are picking up, by the eternal!” “Yes, sir,” Luke agreed soberly, “but of course you understand that orders don’t always mean profits, sir. We’re so deep in the hole now----” “I know,” Mr. Carey sighed, “I know ... old Ben Birdsall ... who’d have ever dreamed ... if it’d been my own brother....” Nancy came back from the telephone to report that Mr. Parker thought it was no end good of them; he would be with them well in advance of the dinner hour. “Let’s get some young people in to meet him, Lady-bird!” her father beamed. “Let’s give the boy a good time. After all, he’s my friend Parker’s son, and he’s my partner, and even if he is kind of a whipper snapper, why-- Who’ll you ask, Lady-bird?” “I’ll have Cousin Mary-Lou, anyway,” Nancy offered, “and another girl and two men. Dad, dear,” she stood looking at him wistfully with her tender and lyric gaze, “what would you think about asking Luke?” “Asking him what?” She colored delicately. “Why--to dinner. He’s been so devoted and faithful and unselfish, Dad, dear----” The old gentleman stared. “Why, Lady-bird, what an idea! What would your Cousin Mary-Lou think? What would any of your other guests think? What--what are _you_ thinking of Nancy?” She hung her head. “I’m thinking of how he worships you, Dad, dear, and how he works early and late, and goes without his salary, and never spares himself----” “I know, I know, I know all that,” he rejoined hastily. “No man ever had a better superintendent, nor more loyal, and when the old Altonia gets on her feet again, I’ll make it up to him, Nancy, I will, by the eternal! He won’t lose by his faithfulness, I promise you that! But when it comes to asking him to _dinner_, Lady-bird, why--Luke, you know, Luke’s just wild mountain stock, one jump away from the feuds and moonshine. If Dr. Darrow hadn’t taken a fancy to him, and seen how smart he was, as a youngster, he’d still be climbing over the rocks and taking pot shots from behind a tree!” Her hazel eyes filled slowly with tears and her chin quivered. “You needn’t _scold_ me about it,” she murmured. “It was only because he’s been so----”