“You’re taking chances to let yourself get worked up like this, Stephen,” he said, quietly, at length.  “You and I are growing older, and our systems won’t stand what they used to.”

Sanford stopped abruptly.  “That’s what he’s counting on, the ingrate.  I’ve spent my whole life building up those furnaces and making money so that he might be a gentleman.  Now he throws it all over, and he thinks I’ll shuffle off in one of these spells; but I’ll fix him.  Not a penny of my money shall he get—­not one penny.”

“How has Allen disgraced himself?  Has he been stealing, or is it forgery or murder?”

“You—­you,” Sanford sputtered, “you dare to suggest that my boy would disgrace himself!  You—­you—­”

“Sit down, Stephen, and calm yourself,” Gorham laughed.  “No one could think of a less heinous crime than I have suggested, judging by your own arraignment of the boy.  How can I help you unless you tell me what has happened?”

“I’m an old fool to let you string me so, but I’m all used up.”

“And the boy has been a young fool and proved himself a chip of the old block—­how is that for a guess?”

“So you’re going to take sides with him, are you?”

“How can I tell until I know the circumstances ?”

“He won’t do what his father tells him,” Sanford explained.  “That’s the situation in a nutshell.”

“Good!  Now you are becoming communicative.  So you’ve cut him off because he won’t do what you tell him?”

“Yes—­the young reprobate.  How he ever broke into my family is more than I can understand.”

“You’re sure your way is better than his, are you, Stephen?”

“Of course I am.  Aren’t you?”

“I don’t know what your way is any more than I know Allen’s, so I can speak without prejudice.  I just wanted to be sure that you had given both sides of the question sufficient consideration to be certain of your position.  It’s a serious thing to send your own son adrift, Stephen.”

“He’s my son, isn’t he?”

“I judge that he has proved that.”

“Would you let a son of yours lead you around by the nose?”

“No; nor would I condemn a high-strung colt to the bone-yard because I couldn’t put a bridle on him the first time I tried.”

“H’m!” Sanford ejaculated.  “It’s the women who don’t have children who always attend ‘mothers’ meetings.’  Of course you know just how to handle a son.”

“If you hadn’t thought I had some ideas, I don’t suppose I should have had the pleasure of this interview.”

“Then you think he ought to be allowed to go into business?”

“This proposition seems now to have become of secondary importance.  The main issue is whether or not a boy twenty-three years old is to be allowed to express his ideas when they differ from his father’s.  Allen, apparently, has settled the matter without any advice from either of us.”