You can't get the money from the telegraph office and give it to me
quick enough, kiddie," he said, with the choke coming out clear in his
voice. "Forgive me! The youngster's eyes will be twice the value saved
in such a way," and he took my hand and held it in both of his against
his heart, in a manner to make me feel that never again would I have
to struggle with that Byrd pride.

"Please forgive me for fighting you like that," I said with a horrible
blush of memory coming over me as I thought of all I had said, about
the patches on the trousers especially. "You made me do it and--"

But here we were interrupted as an apparition stood in the door and
regarded the sad and joyful tableau we made with its head on one side,
right corner of the mouth up, and left eyelid drooped. It was Father,
and I had never seen him look so grand or with such a noble expression
on his face! And as he stood still and looked at us, I held my breath
far longer than it is safe to do. And as Father looked, the Idol drew
himself up and his head took on the pose of the feminine Byrd
portrait, but he still held my hand in both of his as he looked Father
steadily in the face. I was scared and so was Roxanne as we hugged
each other as women always do from fright.

Then, without a word, Father walked right up under the portrait and
took the Idol by both shoulders and gave him one good shake that
tottered us all.

"You young idiot, you! You young idiot!" he said in a tone of such
affection that it was unbelievable to my ears. And as I heard it, I
knew that all my trials and disgraces and puzzlings were over, and I
turned my head upon Roxanne's back hair and wept tears, the first time
in my life--and I hope not the last.

CHAPTER XII

"Now, see here, Phil, don't give out on the situation like that," said
Father, as he slapped me on the back to still the tears while Roxanne
hugged me and the Idol still held my hand.

"Please go on and tell what you did or didn't do to the 'secret,'" I
sobbed, but I stood on my own feet again and was using both my natural
hands to wipe my eyes.

The Idol had been for minutes standing and looking at Father like a
child that has just awakened and doesn't know whether the awful thing
that was pursuing him was a dream or a real bear. Roxanne was the
first one to speak, and as usual she had seen the rosy side of
something, even if it was not the real thing.

"You didn't really steal the secret at all, did