“And is this a reason? You’re willing to forgive him his sins, his evil reputation, and take him into your house as the husband of your only child, because he stands in the way of your making a lot of money? I don’t understand.”
“There’s a lot you don’t understand. You and I don’t use the same kind of mental machinery. But I want you to know that any boy of his age who’s got the nerve to tackle a big game the way he did that one and win out against a man of my caliber is the kind of a young man I want on my side. He’s the kind of a young man I’ve been looking for ever since I went into the coal business, and I’m not going to let him go if I can help it.”
“But his morals! You must know what people say about him, that he’s——”
“I don’t care what they say about him,” growled Loring. “Half of the world is lying, and the other half listening. I’m glad he isn’t a willy-boy. It’s the fellow who has to fight temptations that learns the meaning of victory. There are no airholes in the steel that’s been through the blast, and that boy has been through the blast. I can read it in his face. He couldn’t square up to me the way he did if there was any weakness in him. He’s suffered, but it hasn’t hurt him any. He’s found himself. I’m going to help him. See here, Janet, I’m getting older, and so are you. I’ve been thinking about it some lately. I’m a pretty rich man and I’m going to be richer. But do you think I want to turn the money I leave over to a man like Coley Van Duyn or Dirwell De Lancey to make ducks and drakes of? Have it turned into an amusement fund for the further debauching of debauched gentility? Make a Trust Fund of it to perpetuate the Pink Tea? I reckon not. I haven’t worked all these years for nothing, and I’m going to see that Jane doesn’t make the mistakes of other rich men’s children. I don’t think she wants to anyway. I’ve always told her that she wouldn’t find the man she’s going to marry walking up and down Fifth Avenue. The man to keep my estate together has got to be made of different stuff. I’ve found him. He’s an ace that I dropped into the discard by mistake, but I’m going to play him just the same. I want him, and if Jane wants him, too, I’m going to get him for her.”
“I don’t know what to think of you. I can’t see yet——” Mrs. Loring wailed.
Loring stopped beside her and patted her on the shoulder.
“Don’t you worry, Janet. I know what I’m about. You leave this to me. Is Jane in her room? I want to see her.”
“Yes,” said Mrs. Loring in tones of resignation. “She’s there, but I don’t think she’d see you, even if she knew what you wanted to talk about. To-morrow, perhaps.”
Loring shrugged his massive shoulders. “Oh, all right,” he growled, and made his way to his own dressing-room. He held the keys to the situation in his hand, and manlike wanted to use them without delay, to unlock the door that barred the way to happiness for Jane, to act at once upon the inspiration that had come to him and settle for all time the problem of the future. But he took his wife’s advice and postponed the talk with his daughter, wondering at the ways of women. He dined alone and went to his study early, sat at his desk and wrote the following note to Philip Gallatin.
Dear Mr. Gallatin: