I wish to present them in person, and I know of no more appropriate
occasion than this afternoon, when I am to receive a delegation of
school children from the Southern Baptist Union and the Boy Scouts of
the Methodist Temperance League. I will be glad to have these young
Americans, as well as any others who may be calling to pay their
respects--not to me but to my office--hear what I have to say on
peace, patriotism, and grapes."

With the departure of the secretary he unbent slightly. "Well," he
smiled, "you cannot say, as did Ericsson with his monitor and Holland
with his submarine and the Wrights with their aeroplane, that you
could not get the support of your Government until it was too late. In
fact, my dear fellow, when I think of the obstacles so many inventors
have to contend with, it strikes me that you have had pretty easy
sailing."

"Perhaps," Edestone raised his eyebrows a trifle whimsically, "it has
not been so easy as you think, Mr. Secretary."

"Oh, I know, I know!" the other replied. "You still must admit that in
comparison with most men you have been singularly fortunate. You have
had great wealth, absolute freedom to develop your ideas as you saw
fit, and finally the influence to command an immediate hearing for
your claims. Do you know that perhaps you are the richest young man in
the world today? It is this which, I must confess, at first rather
prejudiced me against you."

Edestone laughed good-naturedly. "It is lucky that my photographs were
able to speak for me."