“John, you’re wrong,” Mrs. Parker affirmed, with conviction.  “That young man will go far.  What would you do if Kay should fall in love with him?”

“I’m sure I do not know, Kate.  What would you do?”

“I do not know, John.  Nevertheless, it is interesting to contemplate the situation.  If he should win this ranch back from you, he could have her with my blessing.”

“Likewise with mine.  That would put him right up in the go-getter class, which is the class I want to see Kay marry into.  But he will not win back this ranch, Kate.”

“How do you know he will not?”

“Because I’m going to do everything in my power to keep him from redeeming it—­and I’m neither a mental nor a financial cripple.”

“Where did the potato baron go?” Mrs. Parker queried, suddenly changing the conversation.

“Down into the valley, I imagine, to look over the land.”

“His presence here is not agreeable to Mr. Farrel, John.  I think you might manage to indicate to Mr. Okada that now, Mr. Farrel having returned so unexpectedly, your land deal must necessarily be delayed for a year, and consequently, further negotiations at this time are impossible.”

“Yes; I think I had better give him a strong hint to go away.  It irritates Farrel to have him in the house, although he’d never admit it to us.”

“I wonder, John, if it irritates him to have us in the house?”

“I wanted to leave to-day, but when he invited us to stay, you wouldn’t permit me to consider leaving,” he reminded her.

“But, John, his manner was so hearty and earnest we had to accept.  Really, I think, we might have hurt his feelings if we had declined.”

“Kay seemed happy to stay.”

“That is another reason for accepting his invitation.  I know she’ll enjoy it so here.”

“I wouldn’t be at all surprised,” Parker replied, dryly.  “She has helped herself to the car and driver in order to aid Farrel at my expense.”

His humorous wife smiled covertly.  Parker smoked contemplatively for a quarter of an hour.  Then,

“Here comes the smiling son of Nippon, John,” Mrs. Parker remarked.

The potato baron entered the secluded patio and sat down beside them on the porch.  With a preliminary whistling intake of breath, he remarked that it was a beautiful day and then proceeded, without delay, to discuss the subject closest to his heart—­the fertile stretches of the San Gregorio valley.

Parker squirmed a trifle uneasily.

“As I explained to you this morning, Mr. Okada,” he began, “our deal has become a trifle complicated by reason of the wholly unexpected return of Mr. Miguel Farrel.”

“Very great misfortune,” Okada sympathized.  “Very great disappointment.”

Mrs. Parker favored him with a look of violent dislike and departed abruptly, much to Okada’s relief.  Immediately he drew his chair close to Parker’s.