away from
the women folks."

Thomas' heart went down in despair.

"Mrs. Killigrew can find another secretary for the bureau. I shan't say
a word to her, and I'll see that Kitty doesn't. You've had your
breakfast. Go and finish up that report. Williams," Killigrew called to
the second man, "take Mr. Webb's grips up to his rooms. I'll see you
later, Thomas," and Killigrew made off for the breakfast-room, where he
chuckled at odd times, much to his wife's curiosity. But he shook his
head when she quizzed him.

"You agree with me, Molly, don't you, that Kitty shall marry when and
where she pleases?"

"Certainly, Daniel. I don't believe in ready-made matches."

"No more do I. Molly, old girl, I've slathers of money. I could quit
now; but I'm healthy and can't play all day. Got to work some of the
time. Every one around here shall do as they please. And,"--slyly--"if
Kitty should want to marry Thomas . . ."

"Thomas?"

"Anything against the idea?"

"But Thomas couldn't take care of Kitty."

"H'm."

"And Kitty wouldn't marry a man who couldn't."

"Some truth In that. At present Thomas couldn't support an idea. But
there's makings in the boy, give a man time and nothing else to do.
There's one thing, though; Thomas seems to have the gift of picking out
the chaff when it comes to men. A man who can spot a man is worth
something to somebody. Where Thomas' niche is, however, I can't tell to
date. He'll never get on socially; he has too much regard for other
people's feelings."

"And no tact."

"A poor man needs a good deal of that." Killigrew began paring his
fourth chop-bone. He hadn't enjoyed himself so much in months. Thomas
had kissed Kitty and hadn't wanted to!

It would take a philosopher to dig up the reason for that; or rather a
clairvoyant, since philosophers dealt only with logical sequences, and
there was nothing logical to Killigrew's mind in Thomas kissing Kitty
when he hadn't wanted to!

CHAPTER XVIII

Sugar, coffee and spices. Thomas dipped his pen into the inkwell and
went to work. Were all American fathers mad? To condone an affront
like this! He could not understand these Americans. He had approached
Killigrew with far more courage than the latter suspected. Thomas had
read that here men still shot each other on slight provocation. Sugar,
coffee and spices. . . . Sao Paulo and valorization committee . . .
10,000,000 bags. What should he do? Whither shoul