tom lupton got over to see the vantons at least twice a week through the summer. and whether she was on the wide veranda or sitting under a beach parasol on the sand while the children bathed in the surf, mary vanton was always glad to see him. sometimes she found herself looking forward to his coming, and then she had a moment of hesitation and self-rebuke. yet ... why should she not? she expected a visitor[239] in september and contemplated his coming with a pleasurable interest, as she told tom lupton.

“you’ll be glad to see dick hand again, won’t you?” she asked, as they sat on the beach together.

“why, sure,” tom answered, with some surprise. “is he coming out?” dick was still in new york, a chemical engineer of tremendous reputation. his latest feat had been to develop some old and neglected patents that were his father’s. the rights had nearly expired when dick got to work at them and made improvements that enabled him to re-patent them. he thought he was going to make a fortune—or another fortune. he had several already.

“what are those patents of his, anyway?” asked tom lupton, rather perfunctorily.

“why, they are processes with oyster shells by which he makes a sort of concrete that can be used for flooring, and some other substance that is good for roofs.”

tom lupton grew interested.

“are those the patents he got from your aunt?” he inquired. “i mean the ones his father got from her?”

“i don’t know. what were those?”

mary vanton had never heard the story, but tom lupton had, and he related how keturah smiley, later keturah hand, had bested richard hand, sr.

mary vanton heard it through and then exclaimed: “wasn’t that like aunt keturah? i’m glad, though,[240] that dick is going to make something out of the patents.”

“it seems almost as if you really had a stake in them,” commented keeper tom. “your aunt gave them away, practically, if they are worth anywhere near what dick seems to think they are.”

“oh, no; i have no right of any sort in them,” she disclaimed, quickly. “aunt keturah must have parted with them with the full consciousness of their possible value. she would never have realized anything from them nor would i. besides, the greater part of their value has probably come as a result of the work dick has done.”

“i suppose he is married and has children,” said tom, absently. mary glanced at him with equal indifference as she responded carelessly:

“no.”