"I should think an undertaking of
this size would justify hiring an expert to take charge of the actual
mining operations. Won't you have this end of it to look after?"
"Lorimer and Brooks are eminently capable of upholding the dignity and
importance of that sign they've got smeared across the windows
downtown," he observed curtly. "The chief labor of the office they've
set up will be to divide the proceeds. The work will be done and the
money made in the Klappan Range. You sabe that, don't you?"
"I'm not stupid," she pouted.
"I know you're not, little person," he said quietly. "But you've
changed a heap in the last few months. You don't seem to be my pal any
more. You've fallen in love with this butterfly life. You appear to
like me just as much as ever, but if you could you'd sentence me to
this kid-glove existence for the rest of my natural life. Great
Caesar's ghost!" he burst out. "I've laid around like a well-fed
poodle for seven months. And look at me--I'm mush! Ten miles with a
sixty-pound pack would make my tongue hang out. I'm thick-winded, and
twenty pounds over-weight--and you talk calmly about my settling down
to office work!"
His semi-indignation, curiously enough, affected Hazel as being
altogether humorous.
Pages:
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338