“Certainly, Mr. Kirby. Father has it in mind to take Mr. Campbell for an inspection of all our industries, and I’ll give you the tip so you can be all set to show off your plant.”
“Occurs to me Campbell might make a short speech to our workmen; just a nice friendly jolly, you understand.”
“That will be perfectly simple, Mr. Kirby. Trust me to arrange it.”
V
When John and his father reached home, Helen fell upon her brother’s neck.
“I’ve lost that wager! We’re invited!”
“Ah! The poison is at work, is it? Did it come special post, or did their dusky Senegambian bear the cards hither upon a golden plate?”
“Neither! Mrs. Kirby and Jeannette called and left them personally. I was making bread when they arrived but I had the presence of mind to shed my apron on my way to the door to let them in. Mother was darning socks but she came down and they stayed so long the bread burned to a cinder.”
“A few loaves of bread are nothing—nothing!”
“But, John, dear, I think maybe——” began Mrs. Ward, uncertainly and paused, noting that her husband was emptying a satchel of important looking papers as though he expected to spend the evening at work. He appeared more cheerful than she had seen him in years.