“She certainly is.”
“So sympathetic.”
“Yes.”
“So kind.”
“Yes.”
“And she's got brains enough for two, which is the exact quantity the girl who marries you will need.”
Fillmore drew himself up with as much hauteur as a stout man sitting in a low chair can achieve.
“Some day I will make you believe in me, Sally.”
“Less of the Merchant Prince, my lad,” said Sally, firmly. “You just confine yourself to explaining how you got this way, instead of taking up my valuable time telling me what you mean to do in the future. You've lost all your money?”
“I have suffered certain reverses,” said Fillmore, with dignity, “which have left me temporarily... Yes, every bean,” he concluded simply.
“How?”
“Well...” Fillmore hesitated. “I've had bad luck, you know. First I bought Consolidated Rails for the rise, and they fell. So that went wrong.”
“Yes?”
“And then I bought Russian Roubles for the fall, and they rose. So that went wrong.”
“Good gracious! Why, I've heard all this before.”
“Who told you?”
“No, I remember now. It's just that you remind me of a man I met at Roville. He was telling me the story of his life, and how he had made a hash of everything. Well, that took all you had, I suppose?”
“Not quite. I had a few thousand left, and I went into a deal that really
Prev.
Back
Top