"I _am_ grateful, daddy; and I love her better every day. There's Riley;
he'll help you get ready for the theatre."

Gorham made no answer, but patted his daughter's cheek affectionately as
he turned from her to the genial face of his valet and general factotum.
The old man had been in Gorham's family for forty years, and his loyalty
to "Misther Robert" had steadily increased during the period which had
elapsed since "Old Gorham," as his original master had been known in
Pittsburgh, delivered him over to his son as a part of the house and
household effects which constituted the paternal wedding present. Now,
ten years Gorham's senior, he still adopted an attitude at once
protective and admiring, enjoying that intimacy which is the reward of
a lifelong service of loyalty.

"Miss Alice wishes me to go to the theatre to-night, Riley," Gorham
remarked as the man relieved him of his coat.

"Yis, sor; 'twill do ye good, Misther Robert--ye wid so manny grand
plans in ye'er head. 'Twill do ye good, sor."

"But I have so much to do, Riley," Gorham protested. "The more items I
cross off my daily memorandum, the more I find left there to be done."

"Yis, sor; that's right, sor--I know it's right; it's just like th'
Widow Cruse's oil jug in th' Bible, sor. But th' widow come out all
right, Misther Robert, and ye'll do th' same. I'll have ye'er things
ready f'r ye in a minnit, sor."

If Riley was in the conspiracy for the theatre-party, Gorham realized