of his
wife, although, as a matter of fact, the lady had no ideas on the
subject beyond an insistence that the house should be "worthy of their
station," and erected in a fashionable suburb of Seattle. Elizabeth
and Jane aided and abetted her in clamoring for a Seattle home,
although both were quick to note the advantages of a picturesque
country home on the cliffs above the bight. They urged their father to
build his house, but condemned his plans. They desired a house some
three times larger than the blue-prints called for.

Hector McKaye said nothing. The women chattered and argued among
themselves until, Elizabeth and Jane having vanquished their mother,
all three moved briskly to the attack upon The Laird. When they had
talked themselves out and awaited a reply, he gave it with the simple
directness of his nature. It was evident that he had given his answer
thought.

"I can never live in Seattle until I retire, and I cannot retire
until Donald takes my place in the business. That means that Donald
must live here. Consequently, I shall spend half of my time with you
and the girls in Seattle, mother, and the other half with Donald here.
When we built our first home, you had your way--and I've lived in this
architectural horror ever since. This time, I'm going to have my own
way--and you've lived with me long enough to know that when I declare
for a will of my own, I'll not be denied. Well I realize you and the
girls have outgrown Port Agnew. There's naught here to interest you,
and I would not have woman o' mine unhappy. So plan your house in
Seattle, and I'll build it and spare no expense. As for this house on
the headland, you have no interest in it. Donald's approved the plans,
and him only will I defer to. 'Twill be his house some day--his and
his wife's, when he gets one. And there will be no more talk of it, my
dears. I'll not take it kindly of ye to interfere."

II

At a period in his upward climb to fortune, when as yet Hector McKaye
had not fulfilled his dream of a factory for the manufacture of his
waste and short-length stock into sash, door, blinds, moldings, and so
forth, he had been wont to use about fifty per cent. of this material
for fuel to maintain steam in the mill boilers, while the remainder
passed out over the waste-conveyor to the slab pile, where it was
burned.

The sawdust, however, remained to be disposed of, and since it was not
possible to burn this in the slab fire for th