"I'm late," said Mickey shortly. "I must hurry."
"Bruce is late too. I just came from his office and he isn't there," answered Mr. Minturn.
"Well I want to get it in order before he comes."
"In fact you want anything but to have a word to say to me!" hazarded
Mr. Minturn.
"Well then, since you are such a good guesser, I ain't just crazy about you," said Mickey shortly.
"And I'm tired of having you run from me as if I were afflicted with smallpox," said Mr. Minturn.
"If your blood is right, smallpox ain't much," said Mickey. "I haven't a picture of myself running from that, if it really wanted a word with me."
"But you have a picture of yourself running from me?"
"Maybe I do," conceded Mickey.
"I've noticed it on occasions so frequent and conspicuous that others, no doubt, will do the same," said Mr. Minturn. "If you are all Bruce thinks you, then you should give a man credit for what he tries to do. You surprised me too deeply for words with the story you brought me one day. I knew most of your facts from experience, better than you did, except the one horrible thing that shocked me speechless; but Mickey, when I had time to adjust myself, I made the investigations you suggested, and proved what you said. I deserve your scorn for not acting faster, but what I had to do couldn't be done in a day, and for the boys' sake it had to be done as privately as possible. There's no longer any reason why you should regard me as a monster——"