He said it was a secret, and it seemed to me it would be wrong
for me to listen. If I didn't know what that formula was I certainly
couldn't tell it, and ignorance might help me out of an awkward
position if any one should try to persuade me to."
"You are a trump, old man."
"It was only the square thing toward your father; he has been
straight with me and I want to show him that I can be a gentleman,
too."
The boys were silent for an interval; then Bob said:
"Now about this snarl, Van--what are we going to do? Certainly we
fellows are not going to let this feud of our fathers affect us."
"Not by a jugful!" retorted Van with spirit. "The thing for us to do
is to go right on being friends as if nothing had happened. It will
make it all the easier that your father knows just who I am, and my
father knows exactly who you are; it is franker and more in the open
to have it so. If worse comes to worse we can talk the whole thing
out with our families, and tell them how we feel. I am sure both
your father and mine are too big to spoil a friendship like ours
because of some fuss they had years and years ago. No, sir! I'm
going to hold on to you, Bobbie, and," he added shyly, "I'm going to
hold on to your father, too, if he'll let me, for I like him."
"I'm glad you like Dad," Bob said, flushing with pleasure. "I do
myself."
"My dad isn't so bad, either," Van ventured with a dry little smile.
"Some time you shall see for yourself."
"I hope so.
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