"What will Jefferson say--how happy he will be!" "How are you going to tell him ?" inquired Ryder uneasily.
"I shall tell him that his dear, good father has relented and--" "No, my dear," he interrupted, "you will say nothing of the sort.
I draw the line at the dear, good father act.

I don't want him to think that it comes from me at all." "But," said Shirley puzzled, "I shall have to tell him that you--" "What ?" exclaimed Ryder, "acknowledge to my son that I was in the wrong, that I've seen the error of my ways and wish to repent?
Excuse me," he added grimly, "it's got to come from him.

He must see the error of _his_ ways." "But the error of his way," laughed the girl, "was falling in love with me.

I can never prove to him that that was wrong!" The financier refused to be convinced.

He shook his head and said stubbornly: "Well, he must be put in the wrong somehow or other! Why, my dear child," he went on, "that boy has been waiting all his life for an opportunity to say to me: 'Father, I knew I was in the right, and I knew you were wrong,' Can't you see," he asked, "what a false position it places me in?
Just picture his triumph!" "He'll be too happy to triumph," objected Shirley.
Feeling a little ashamed of his attitude, he said: "I suppose you think I'm very obstinate." Then, as she made no reply, he added: "I wish I didn't care what you thought." Shirley looked at him gravely for a moment and then she replied seriously: "Mr.Ryder, you're a great man--you're a genius--your life is full of action, energy, achievement.