"Fourteen!" repeated Helen scornfully throwing diplomacy to the winds at his criticism of Bruce, "Fourteen!--and you judged him as though he were a man of your own age and experience!"
"I made $20 a month and my board when I was fourteen."
"That doesn't prove anything except a difference in ambition. You wanted the $20 a month and Bruce wanted an education."
"He owed me some respect." Burt declared obstinately. At the moment he and Bruce looked marvellously alike.
"And don't you think you owed him anything?" Helen's cheeks were flaming. The last thing she had expected was to quarrel with Bruce's father, but since she was in it she meant to stand her ground. She had made a muddle of it she felt, and her chances of success were slim indeed. "Don't you think a child is entitled to the best chance for happiness and success that his parents can give him? All Bruce asked was an education--the weapon that every child has a right to, to enable him to fight his own battles. I had the best education my parents could afford and at that I'm not bowed down with gratitude for the privilege of struggling merely to exist."
She expected him to reply with equal heat but instead he ignored her argument and with a return to his former manner as though his flare-up of interest had passed, asked indifferently: "What's he done?"
"Nothing to be ashamed of," Helen answered vigorously, "and everything to be proud of. He's put up a plucky fight but the odds are too strong against him and he's going to lose unless you come to the rescue--quick."
Burt combed the horse's mane with his fingers.
"What's he in--what's he doing?" There was no personal interest in the question.
Helen hesitated for a second, knowing instinctively the effect her answer would have upon him--then she replied with a touch of defiance: "Mining."
"Minin'!" His tone was full of disgust, much as though she had said gambling or burglary. "I might have known it would be some fool thing like that. No, ma'am," harshly, "by writin' first you might have saved yourself the trip for not a dollar of my money ever has or ever will go into any minin' scheme. I don't speculate."
"But Mr. Burt--" Helen began pleadingly. She had a panicky feeling that she was going to cry.
"It's no use arguin'," he interrupted. "He can't get me into any wild-cat minin' scheme--"
"It isn't a wild-cat mining scheme," Helen defended hotly.
Burt went on-"If he wants to come home and help me with the cattle and behave himself now that he's fooled away his time and failed--"