CHAPTER XIII
COUNTER INFLUENCES
Thereafter, having been fully convinced by the demonstration and fullyassured of the precise accuracy in the work on the power plant, Mr.Hooper treated the boys with the utmost consideration and confidence.The owner of the great estate came down to see them every day andchatted as familiarly as though he had been a lifelong crony of theirown age. From time to time the boys were taken to dinner at the bighouse; they were given access to the library, and they found some timefor social and sportive pastimes with the young folks whom Grace invitedto her home.
Throughout all this Bill shone as an entertainer, a mental uplift thatwas really welcome, so spontaneous and keen were his talks and commentson people and things. Gus, though having little practice, held his ownat tennis and golf; in swimming races and other impromptu sports hegreatly excelled; and when a young fellow who bore the reputation of anall-round athlete came for the week-end from the city, Gus put on thegloves with him and punched the newcomer all over an imaginary ring onthe lawn to the delight of Mr. Hooper, Grace and Skeets, as well as theadmiring Bill.
Throughout all this, also, there was an element of ill feeling, an oftenopen expression of antagonism toward the boys, which probably the otherguests all tensed unpleasantly, but which the contented, jovial host andhis impetuous and volatile daughter hardly recognized or thought of.Thaddeus, the thin-faced, pale, stoop-shouldered, indolent,cigarette-smoking nephew, though often treated with slight courtesy,continually pushed himself to the front, compelling considerationapparently for the sole purpose of exerting a counter-influence upon thepopularity of Bill and Gus, especially the latter. The youth even wentso far at times as to attempt an interference in the power-plant work,declaring that it did not proceed rapidly enough and that certainmethods were at fault, to all of which Mr. Hooper turned a deaf ear.
There was nothing else but open warfare between Grace and Thad, Skeetsalso echoing the daughter's hostility, while the nephew easily pretendedto ignore it, or to regard the sharp words aimed at him as jokes. Hetreated Skeets with as much contempt as her jovial manner permitted, butnow and then it could be seen that his pale eyes glared at Grace's backin a way that seemed almost murderous.
One day Gus and George, the colored man, were working at the far end ofthe curved dam breast, the stone work having risen to four feet inheight. Bill was stooping to inspect the cement on the near end and theview of the hill was cut off. Presently voices came to him, mostly asort of good-natured protest in monosyllables; then Thad's tones, lowenough to keep Gus from hearing.
"I tell you, Uncle, they're putting it over on you. It ain't any of mybusiness, but I hate to see you having your leg pulled."
"'Taint!" was the brief answer.
"Well, if you don't want to think so; but I know it. Look at this dam:not over two feet thick and expected to hold tons of water. Wait till aflood hits it. Will it go out like a stack of cards, or won't it? Andthey're not using enough cement; one-fourth only with the sand."
"Grouting, broken stones," growled Mr. Hooper.
"Not sufficient, as you'll see. And does anybody want to say that atwo-inch pipe is going to run a water wheel with force enough to turn agenerator that will drive thirty or forty lights? Bosh!"
"They ought to know."
"You think they do, but have you any proof of it? What they don't knowwould fill a libra--"
"How 'bout that there triang--what you call it? They knew that."
"Oh, just a draughtsman's smart trick; used to catch people. I'm talkingabout things that are practical. You'll see. I'll bet you these blamedfools are going to strike a snag one of these days, or they'll leavethings so that there'll be a fall-down. But what need they care afterthey get their money?"
Bill heard footsteps retreating and dying away; Mr. Hooper went over toGus and, with evident hesitation, asked:
"Do you reckon you're makin' the stone work thick enough? It does lookmost terrible weak."
"Sure, Mr. Hooper. Bill'll explain that to you. Professor Gray and heworked out the exact resistance and the pressure."
And then Bill limped over; he had left his crutch on the hillside, andhe said, half laughing:
"This wall, Mr. Hooper, can't give way, even if it had the ocean behindit, unless the stone and cement were mashed and crumbled by pressure.The only thing that could break it would be about two days' hammeringwith a sledge, or a big charge of blasting powder, and even thatcouldn't do a great deal of damage."
"All right, me lad; you ought to know an' I believe you."
Mr. Hooper's genial good humor returned to him immediately; it wasevident that he was from time to time unpleasantly influenced by thesoft and ready tongue of his nephew. The old gentleman turned towardhome and disappeared; a short time afterward Thad came and stood nearwhere Gus was working, but he said nothing, nor did Gus address him.Then the slim youth also departed and hardly half an hour elapsed beforedown the hill came Grace and Skeets, the latter stumbling several times,nearly pitching headlong and yet most mirthful over her own nearmisfortune; but little Miss Hooper seemed unusually serious-minded. Alively exchange of jests and jolly banter commenced between Skeets andGus, who could use his tongue if forced to; but presently Grace left herlaughing chum and came over to where Bill had resumed his inspection.
"They can't hear us, can they?" she queried, glancing back at theothers.
"Why, I expect not," Bill replied, surprised and mystified.
"If I say something to you, real confidentially, you won't give me away,will you? Honest, for sure?"
"Honest, I won't; cross my heart; wish I may die; snake's tongue;butcher knife bloody!"
"That ought to do, and anybody with any sense would believe you, anyway.But, then, it will be a big temptation for you--"
"Resistance is my nickname; you may trust me."
"Well, then, in some way," said the girl, dropping her voice stilllower, "you are going to find that this work here won't be--it won'tgo--not just as you expect it to; it--it won't be just plain sailing asit ought to be and would be if you were let alone. There are things,"she put a forceful accent on the last word, "that will interfere--oh,sometimes dreadfully, maybe, and I felt that I must tell you, but--"
Bill, wondering, glanced up at her; she stood with her pretty faceturned away, a troubled look in her bright eyes, the usually smilinglips compressed with determination. The boy's quick wits began to fathomthe drift of her intention and the cause thereof; he must know more todetermine her precise attitude.
"I must believe that you mean this in real kindness and friendlinesstoward Gus and me."
"Of course I do; else I would not have told you a thing," Grace said,blushing a little.
"I think it must be something real and that you know. This thing, then,as you call it, is more likely a person--some person who is workingagainst us. You mean that; don't you?"
"Please don't ask me too much. I think you're very quick and intelligentand that you'll find out and be on your guard."
"I think I understand. Naturally you must feel a certain loyalty towarda relation, or at least if not just that, toward one who has yourfather's good will. Gus and I surely appreciate your warning; you'llwant me to tell him, of course."
"I don't know. Gus is not so cool-headed as you are; I was afraid hemight--"
"Trust Gus. He and I work together in everything. And I do thank you,Grace, more than I can express. Well keep our eyes open."