The others drifted in and out and at last the supper hour came and once
more the clan gathered at the familiar table.

"Why, Papa, I haven't seen you with such appetite or with such spirits
since last Christmas," said Mamma.

"You haven't seen me with such cause. And how mad I was when I came--eh,
Mamma!"

"You know, Papa," said Ernest, "we never could have put over the Plant
if it hadn't been for the Prebles. I swear Charley has fed us and Dick
has guided us and had faith in us when it seemed as if the whole world
outside had turned us down."

"Is it so?" exclaimed Papa as if realizing that fact for the first time.
"So you stood by my boy, eh, Dick? Well, that's good! My boy has stood
by you and so will I. Now listen, boys. Why can't I do a little
adventuring, eh? Let's make this a thousand acre Plant. And the Dean
says that this engine will put every other low temperature, high speed
engine off the market. Why not build some and sell them, eh?"

"But Mr. Wolf," said Roger. "I haven't felt as if you ought to put money
in. If anything should go wrong and you should lose by it, I'd never
forgive myself."

Papa Wolf put his hand on Roger's knee. "Roger, I've known you since you
were born and I loved your father. He died a disappointed man. When I
think of the things Ernie said this morning I realize that perhaps if
I'd been a better patriot I wouldn't have let a man so valuable to the
community die a disappointed man. Now you're an even more valuable man
than your father was, and so is Ernest. Shall I wait for outsiders to do
for my son and your father's son? Or shall I help you organize so as to
develop this hot country for America? And again I did my only son an
unkindness in not understanding his work--almost a fatal unkindness.
Suppose he had left us for Germany. Shall I not make it up to him? And
lastly, my son treated you dishonorably. Shall he and I not together try
to make it up?"

Roger's tense face worked.

"Now, don't speak! I know how you feel," cried Papa. "Now I have more
than enough tucked away for Mamma and me. And I have two friends, one in
the brewery, one in the bank. We can organize a company. We have Dick's
ranch and the turquoise mine and Ernest's and your plant. We can get
plenty of money. I'll make all those Maennerchors come down here. We'll
irrigate this whole desert. We'll open up mines--we'll--"

He got up to pace the floor. "Why there's an empire here for Uncle Sam
that the Recla