picked out."




III

When the door closed behind the girl old John readjusted his nose
glasses and leaned back in his chair. "A clever engineer he is, beyond
a doubt," he mused. "For I kept my eye on him while he was layin' out
Orcutt's Nettle River project. If he'd made a botch of the job 'twould
have saved me offerin' my plant to the city. But he has the look of a
man ye couldn't trust in the dark--an' 'twould be clever engineerin' to
marry a million. I'll set him a job that'll show the stuff that's in
him. If he's a crook, I'll give him the chance to prove it." Reaching
into a pigeon-hole of his desk, McNabb withdrew a thick packet of
papers and removed the rubber band.

A few moments later Jean entered, the office followed by a rather well
set up young man, whose tiny mustache was chopped square, like a
miniature section of box hedge. "This is Mr. Wentworth, Dad,"
introduced the girl. "And now I'll leave you two men, because Oskar
has promised to help me pick out a coat, and it's after ten o'clock.
And, by the way, Dad, what kind of a coat shall I get? I want a good
one."

"I'll warrant ye do! Well, just you tell Oskar to let you pick out a
pony, or a crummer, or a baum marten, or a squirrel. They're all good."

As the door closed behind his daughter, old John McNabb motioned the