This decision he arrived at while sojourning in the home of a wealthy
fruit-grower who was interested in the Nettle River project, and who
furnished him a letter of recommendation to Orcutt, who promptly
employed him. Thereafter all went well until McNabb's ultimatum
brought the Nettle River project to as sudden a termination as the
armistice had brought the war. Whereupon Wentworth found himself in
the uncomfortable predicament of having no available assets and many
pressing liabilities, incurred in the course of his endeavor to win the
good graces of the wealthy Jean McNabb.
While scarcely knowing Hedin, Wentworth recognized him as a possible
rival. He, himself, was no connoisseur of fur, but at least he knew a
Russian sable when he saw one, and as he preceded Jean down the aisle,
his brain worked rapidly.
By the time he reached the street, a daring scheme was half-formed in
his brain--a scheme which, if successful, would work the utter ruin of
Hedin, and leave him a clear field with the girl. At the first corner
he excused himself.
Hardly was the girl's back turned when Wentworth dodged around the
corner and entered McNabb's store by another door just in time to see
old John rush from the building, bag in hand, and hurry down the street
in the direction of the station.
McNabb's was the only big store in Terrace City, and being a department
store, it kept city hours, so while on Saturday evenings all the other
stores remained open for business until a late hour, McNabb's closed at
noon.
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