"
Again the older man nodded gravely. "How come you to find out, Evan,
boy?" he asked.
"It was when Hathaway had been given his chance at me. He opened the
cesspool for me, as you meant he should when you sent him to me. From
your point of view, I suppose it was necessary that I should be shown.
You knew what I was saying and doing; how I was taking it for granted
that the railroad was going in clean-handed, and the one ray of comfort
in the whole miserable business is the fact that you cared enough to
want to give me a glimpse of the real thing that was hiding behind all
my brave talk. But I don't think you counted fully upon the effect it
would have upon me."
"What was the effect, son?"
"At first, it made me want to throw up the fight and run away to the
ends of the earth. It seemed as if I didn't have anybody to turn to. You
were in it, and Gantry was in it--and Gantry's superiors and mine. That
evening I borrowed one of your cars and drove out to Wartrace. I meant
to have it out with you, and then to throw up my hands and quit."
"But you didn't do either one," said the father tentatively.
"No. Nothing went right that day, until just at the last. When I was
about to give up and go to bed, Patricia came into the smoking-room. I
had to talk to somebody, so I talked to her; told her where I had
landed.
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