You can do a lot with him. You owe it to
the men to make use of his liking.''
He looked at her in silence for a moment. Then he said: ``I'll
have to be at least partly frank with you. In all his life no
one has ever gotten anything out of your father. He uses men.
They do not use him.''
``Believe me, that is unjust,'' cried Jane. ``I'll tell you
another thing that was on his mind. He wants to --to make
reparation for--that accident to your father. He wants to pay
your mother and you the money the road didn't pay you when it
ought.''
Dorn's candid face showed how much he was impressed. This
beautiful, earnest girl, sweet and frank, seemed herself to be
another view of Martin Hastings' character--one more in accord
with her strong belief in the essential goodness of human nature.
Said he: ``Your father owes us nothing. As for the road--its
debt never existed legally--only morally. And it has been
outlawed long ago--for there's a moral statute of limitations,
too. The best thing that ever happened to us was our not getting
that money. It put us on our mettle. It might have crushed us.
It happened to be just the thing that was needed to make us.''
Jane marveled at this view of his family, at the verge of
poverty, as successful. But she could not doubt his sincerity.
Said she sadly, ``But it's not to the credit of the road--or of
father. He must pay--and he knows he must.''
``We can't accept,'' said Dorn--a finality.
Pages:
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126