ing of mine
attached to the looms here would revolutionize the whole industry for
the Forsyths. You see these Mills are way behind times in their
equipment; with improved looms they could turn out more work, pay better
wages, and give the men better living and working conditions. And
men--the sort they have here--will work better with up-to-date things
around them; gives them an up-to-the-minute respect for their job."

Robin stamped her foot in one of her impetuous bursts of anger.

"He ought to be _made_ to buy it!" she cried.

Dale turned to her and stared at her intently.

"You're a funny little thing. Why do you care so much?"

Robin had a wild longing to bring back to his mind that November night,
long ago, when he had found her clinging abjectly to the palings of the
park fence and had taken her home, that she had declared then that he
was her play-prince and that she would hunt for him until she found him!
And, quite by coincidence, she _had_ found him and now she wanted to do
this thing for him and not entirely to help the Forsyth Mills! But if
she told him--and he laughed--her pretty pretend would be all over and,
because it belonged to that happy childhood in the bird-cage with
Jimmie, it was precious and she did not want to lose it--yet.

So she flushed and answered shyly: "I--don't--know."

"I'm ever so much obliged, Miss Robin, for your interest and your
worry--over me. It gives a fellow a jolly feeling of importance to know
that a little girl is bothering her head over his luck. And Miss Robin,
you've made things tremendously bright for my mother this winter--and
for my father, too. I didn't know whether mother'd be happy here in
Wassumsic after being so busy in New York but it was the only way I
could stop her from working her head off and I'd decided _my_ shoulders
were broad enough to support my family. And you've done a lot for Beryl,
too. I can see it."

"Oh, _don't_!" cried Robin. As if she could let him thank her for Mother
Lynch--as if the debt were not on her side. They had reached the Manor
gate now and Dale handed her the packages.

"Everything will come out all right, Miss Robin, so don't you be
worrying your little head," he admonished and strangely enough Robin
answered him with a smile. _He_ was different.

But Robin's "bad" day had not ended yet. Beryl's "sulk" had grown, like
the gathering clouds of an impending storm, into a big gloom that did
not lighten even when, after dinn