"Bless us! Do you—ah, you 'listened in,' rogue!" he accused, shaking an admonishing finger at her. "Keep a still tongue about it, please, for the present."
"Surely. But I was interested——"
"Of course. Of course," said her father. "Especially when you heard the name of Endicott. If your Ralph had any money of his own (which he hasn't, for it is all tied up in trust funds, I understand) I would let him in on this instead of his Uncle Henry."
Lorna had gone red and looked vexed at his mention of "her Ralph." But she was still curious.
"I suppose Professor Endicott really manages the whole Endicott estate, daddy?"
"Oh, yes. It is all in his hands. And I do not understand when we offer him such a bang-up investment why he doesn't come in."
"Could it be possible that he is short of funds, daddy?"
"Of ready cash, you mean? Why, I have always understood that the Endicott securities were so placed that they brought in a continual stream of dividends. Conservative in the extreme, yet safe investments. Otherwise, how has Henry managed to run that family in such an extravagant way and to pour money into his experiments as well?"
"Couldn't that be the very reason why he does not enter into this investment that you have offered him?" ventured Lorna. "Perhaps the Endicott fortune is depleted to such an extent that he has no surplus for investment."
"Bless us! Do you know that to be a fact, daughter?"