Henry Lamb expressed the opinion privately to his wife and son that Peter Thatcher had experienced an attack of softening of the brain.
Henry professed to have seen the steel magnate's malady coming for a long time. Peter's trip to Florida, Peter's journey to Europe, Peter's attempt to take up golf, all these, according to Henry, were symptoms. It had taken Harold's visit to Cleveland and the boy's mention of college to bring the symptoms to a head. Peter Thatcher was a gone goose, declared Henry. How else could one explain this crazy ofifer of the shrewd-minded, toilbred Peter to squander money assisting a boy not even his own son to waste four years of his own life?
At first Henry Lamb declared with considerable vehemence that he would not permit Harold to enter this scheme. He forbade his son to sell washing machines. It was undignified. It would not get him anywhere. Henry declared his intention of speaking to Walter Coburn in the morning about taking Harold permanently into the bank. Harold could for-
