“That’s just like him,” said Irene. “Tommy thinks no one appreciates good music but himself.”
Kemp and Irene continued to do most of the talking, occasionally appealing to Grace or Trenton to support them in their good-natured contentions. For a time Kemp and Trenton discussed business as frankly as though they were alone. Grace began to understand what Irene meant when she spoke of knowing men of attainment and enjoying their confidence. Kemp was saying that he was prepared to enlarge his plant the moment business took an upward turn. He meant to strike out more boldly into the South American markets than he had ever done before. His competitors didn’t know it, and he didn’t want them to know it, but he already had men down there preparing for an aggressive campaign. His tone was optimistic and confident. It was evident that he paid great deference to Trenton’s opinions and was anxious for his approval of his plans. Once after Trenton had answered at length and with the care that seemed to be habitual with him a technical question as to the production by a new method of castings of a certain kind, Kemp turned and remarked to the young women:
“That answer’s worth money! It’s a joy to talk to a man who knows his stuff.”
“Even I could understand it!” said Grace, “or I thought I did.”
Her father sometimes had explained to her problems in mechanics and Trenton had employed terms with which she was familiar.
“I’d rather expect you to know something about such things, Grace,” said Kemp. “Your father was a pioneer in certain fields. Stephen Durland, you know, Ward,—used to be in the Cummings concern.”
“I know the name of course. I’ve run across it frequently in the patent office reports. Your father’s been a prolific inventor.”
“Yes; he’s always inventing something, but I’m afraid many of his things don’t work!”
“That’s true of hundreds,” said Kemp, “but certain of Stephen Durland’s inventions are still standard. I know because I’ve tried to cut under ’em with things of my own! It was a scoundrelly trick for Cummings to put him out of the company—that’s what I understand happened. You know I believe every mean thing I hear about Cummings.”
“Oh, I suppose it was strictly a business matter,” said Grace.