Though the succeeding days and weeks dragged wearily for Darrell, he
applied himself anew to work and study, and only the lurking shadows
within his eyes, the deepening lines on his face, the fast multiplying
gleams of silver in his dark hair, gave evidence of his suffering.
And if to Kate the summer seemed suddenly to have lost its glory and
music, if she found the round of social pleasures on which she had just
entered grown strangely insipid, if it sometimes seemed to her that she
had quaffed all the richness and sweetness of life on that wondrous
first night till only the dregs remained, she gave no sign. With her
sunny smile and lightsome ways she reigned supreme, both in society and
in the home, and none but her aunt and Darrell missed the old-time
rippling laughter or noted the deepening wistfulness and seriousness of
the fair young face.
Her father watched her with growing pride, and with a visible
satisfaction which told of carefully laid plans known only to himself,
whose consummation he deemed not far distant.
Acting on the suggestion of his sister, he had been closely observant of
both Kate and Darrell, but any conclusions which he formed he kept to
himself and went his way apparently well satisfied.
At the close of an unusually busy day late in the summer Darrell was
seated alone in his office, reviewing his life in the West and vaguely
wondering what would yet be the outcome of it all, when Mr. Underwood
entered from the adjoining room. Exultation and elation were patent in
his very step, but Darrell, lost in thought, was hardly conscious even
of his presence.
"Well, my boy, what are you mooning over?" Mr. Underwood asked,
good-naturedly, noting Darrell's abstraction.
"Only trying to find a solution for problems as yet insoluble," Darrell
answered, with a smile that ended in a sigh.
"Stick to the practical side of life, boy, and let the problems solve
themselves."
"A very good rule to follow, provided the problems would solve
themselves," commented Darrell.
"Those things generally work themselves out after a while," said Mr.
Underwood, walking up and down the room. "I say, don't meddle with what
you can't understand; take what you can understand and make a practical
application of it. That's always been my motto, and if people would
stick to that principle in commercial life, in religion, and everything
else, there'd be fewer failures in business, less wrangling in the
churches, and more good accomplished generally."
"I guess you are about right there," Darrell admitted.
"Been pretty busy to-day, haven't you?" Mr. Underwood asked, abruptly,
after a short pause.
"Yes, uncommonly so; work is increasing of late."
"That's good. Well, it has been a busy day with us; rather an eventful
one, in fact; one which Walcott and I will remember with pleasure, I
trust, for a good many years to come."