child is that yours no have you any children of your own no well that s a god s blessing merely scratched his chin and you insist you will marry her went � by i didn t say that replied his son i said i might might might exclaimed his father his anger again what a tragedy you with your prospects your outlook how do you suppose i can seriously contemplate any share of my fortune to a man who has so little regard for what the world considers as right and proper why this car j business your family your personal reputation ap to be as nothing at all to you i can t understand what has happened to your pride it seems like some j wild impossible fancy it s pretty hard to explain father and i can t do it very well i simply know that i m in this a and that i m bound to see it through it may come out all right i may not marry her � i may i m not prepared now to say what i ll do you ll have to wait i ll do the best i can old merely shook his head you ve made a bad mess of this he said finally surely you have but i s you are determined to go your way nothing that i have said appears to move you not now father i m sorry well i warn you then that you show some consideration for the dignity of your family and the honor of your position it will make a difference in my will i can t go on this thing and not be a party to it morally and every other way i won t do it you can leave her or you can marry her you certainly ought to do one or the other if you leave her everything will be all right you can make any provision for her you like i have no objection to that i ll gladly pay whatever you agree to you will share with the rest of the children just as i had planned if you marry her it will make a difference now do as you don t blame me i love you i m your father l z i i m doing what i think is my duty now you think that over and let me know sighed he saw how hopeless this argument was he felt that his father probably meant what he said but how could he leave and justify himself to himself would his father really cut him off surely not the old gentleman loved him even now � he could see it felt troubled and distressed this attempt f at irritated him the he being made to do such a to throw he stared at the floor old saw that he had let fly a telling bullet well said finally there s no use of our discussing it any further now � that s certain isn t it i can t say what i ll do i ll have to take time and think i can t decide this the two looked at each other was sorry for the world s attitude and for his father s keen feeling about the affair senior was sorry for his son but he was determined to see the thing through he wasn t sure whether he had converted or not but he was hopeful maybe he would come around yet good by father said holding out his hand i think i ll try and make that two ten train there isn t anything else you wanted to see me about no the old man sat there after had gone thinking deeply what a twisted career what an end to great what a in evil and error he shook his head robert was wiser he was the one to control a business he was and if were only like that he thought and thought it was a long time before he stirred and still in the bottom of his heart his son to appeal to him l chapter xl returned to he realized that he had his father seriously how seriously he could not say in all his personal relations with old he had never seen him so worked up but even now did not feel that the breach was he hardly realized that it was necessary for him to act if he hoped to retain his father s affection and confidence as for the world at large what did it matter how much people talked or what they said he was big enough to stand alone but was he people turn so quickly from weakness or the shadow of it to get away from failure � even the mere suspicion of it � that seems to be a feeling with the average man and woman we all avoid non success as though we fear that it may prove was soon to feel the force of this prejudice one day happened to run across the head of a firm that stood in the dry goods world where the company stood in the carriage world had been one of s best friends he knew him as intimately as he knew henry of and george of he visited at his handsome home on the north shore drive and they met constantly in a business and social way but since had moved out to park the old intimacy had now they came face to face on avenue near the building why i m glad to see you again said d l he extended a hand d seemed just a little cool i hear you ve gone and married since i saw you no nothing like that replied easily with the air of one who prefers to be understood in the way of the world sense why so secret about it if you have 