VI
Stephen Durland’s announcement that the Kemp Company had taken up the option on his motor and made a contract for the manufacture of the porcelain tempered in some degree his wife’s disappointment when Grace broke the news that Roy had renounced the law. Mrs. Durland took comfort in the fact that Roy had really passed the law examinations and was admitted to practice with the rest of his class. This measurably satisfied her family pride by enrolling Roy on the list of attorneys of his state in succession to his grandfather and great-grandfather. Roy, however, was much less thrilled by this than by the prospect of having at once employment that he felt was within his powers. The idea of making machinery had never interested him, but the idea of selling it appealed to him strongly and for the first time in his life he found himself in sympathy and accord with his father.
Stephen Durland had money in the bank and was reasonably sure of a good income for the remainder of his life. The Kemp publicity department had given wide advertisement to his discoveries, and several technical journals had asked for photographs of the inventor, the taking of which Grace joyfully supervised. A kind fate having intervened to prevent the mortgaging of the old home Mrs. Durland was now considering selling it and satisfying the great desire of her heart by moving beyond the creek.
Ethel, hearing of the family’s unexpected prosperity, had been up for a visit, and returned to Cincinnati with a supply of linens for her apartment. Her mother thought it only fair that she should participate in the good luck that had at last overtaken the Durlands and Grace agreed with her. Haley’s earnings were meager and Ethel received the gift graciously. She even volunteered a few generous words to her young sister-in-law, about whom she admitted she might have been mistaken.
Durland declined to become interested in the proposed change of residence. In fact he continued to appear dazed by his good fortune and Grace, for years familiar with his moods, was mystified by his conduct.
One evening when they were alone on the front porch she asked a question about affairs at the factory, really in the hope that he would speak of Trenton. When he had answered perfunctorily that everything was running smoothly and that they would be ready to put the new motor on the market in six months he remarked that Trenton was away a good deal.
“His wife’s sick, you know; down East somewhere. I guess he’s had a good deal to worry him. When he’s in town he works hard. There’s a lot to do moving the stuff from Cummings’s old plant, and putting up the new buildings.”
“Mr. Trenton’s certainly been a good friend to you, daddy. But of course he wouldn’t have taken your patents if they hadn’t been all they promised to be.”
Durland turned his head to make sure they were not overheard. Mrs. Durland was somewhere in the house and Roy and Sadie had gone for a walk. Durland cleared his throat and said in a low tone:
“I’d never have got those things right, Grace. Trenton straightened me out on a lot o’ points that were too much for me. He worked with me every night for a week till everything came right. He oughtn’t to give me the credit.”
“Now, daddy, that’s just like you! Of course, they’re all your ideas! But it was fine of Mr. Trenton to help you round them out.”
“It was more than that, Grace,” Durland persisted stubbornly.
This, then, was the cause of her father’s preoccupation and the embarrassment with which he had been hearing himself praised. It was Trenton’s genius, not his, that had perfected the motor! Something sweet and wistful like the scents of the summer night crept into her heart. She was happy, supremely happy, in the thought that Trenton had done this, given her father the benefit of his skill, and for her. Yes; it was all for her, and for those close and dear to her. But her father’s confession moved her greatly. The light from the window fell upon his hand, which seemed to her to symbolize failure as it hung inert from the arm of his chair.
“Oh, lots of inventors must accept help from experts, when they’ve got as far as they can by themselves. Don’t you worry about that! I’m sure it was a pleasure to Mr. Trenton to help you over your difficulties. He naturally wouldn’t want any of the credit when you did all the real work.”
Durland shook his head impatiently.
“I couldn’t have done it!” he said huskily. “I don’t understand even now how he got the results he did!”
“Oh, pshaw!” she exclaimed with a happy little laugh. “No man would be so generous of his talents as all that; men are not built that way.”
But she knew that it was true, and that it was because Trenton loved her that he had saved her father from another and crushing failure.