for her threat, for your daddy could
not have gone to his long rest without making peace with his boy.

"We heard that you had separated from Graham Brenchfield several years
ago; that you had gone to the bad; and that nobody knew of your
whereabouts.

"Of course, that rascal's wonderful, would-be success was well-known
in his native town. We came on here to get what information we could
from him, in the hope of being able to follow you up. And we
found--well--he is gone now, so we'll say no more. But we found you,
well and in a position I would expect my boy to make for himself."

Then Phil told them of his quaint, whimsical and brilliant partner,
Jim Langford, but not a word, of course, of what Jim had said to him
in regard to Margery.

At last he came to what was nearest to his heart, after all,--his love
for Eileen Pederstone--following it hard with a recount of the tide of
misfortune that had swept over her father.

"Jim and I have two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in solid cash,
dad,--and, if you have anything to put in, it would be the finest
investment in the world to clear that property of its mortgages and
put it in a position to earn its own keep.

"But, say!--aren't you folks hungry? It is eight-thirty, and I'm just
beginning to feel I want dinner."

"Come on then, Phil,--we'll all go to the hotel and have a bite there,
then you can 'phone for this wonderful Jim Langford and we can have a
session."

At the hotel, while the ladies and Phil's father were upstairs, he was
standing idly in the rotunda when Jim pushed out from the swing doors
of the billiard room.

"Hullo, old boy!" he cried. "Sorry I couldn't get back before closing
time. Say!--I've found out who the lady is."

"Allow you for that," remarked Phil.

"Funny though!--they have the same name as yourself,--Ralston. They
are from some distant clime down Texas way. Man!--I wish they were
cousins or something of yours. Can't you work up an acquaintance on
the name, Phil? They've gone down town and haven't come back yet."

At that moment, the trio came down the carpeted stairway. Phil, who
was facing them, quietly beckoned them forward, and before Jim knew
how, he was surrounded.

"Meet my mother, Mr. Langford--Mrs. Ralston."

Jim gasped.

"My sister! Mr. Langford--Margery."

Jim's face underwent a series of changes. He stood and bowed stiffly,
and was quite inarticulate.

"My dear old dad,--Jim."

And it was all over.

Ph