Now you'd better hustle out to Unwin and Harrison and get on down
town. I'll be at the hotel, and you can call me up any time."
He turned to Dede as soon as Hegan was gone, and took her by the
hand.
"And now, little woman, you needn't come to the office any more.
Consider yourself discharged. And remember I was your employer,
so you've got to come to me for recommendation, and if you're not
real good, I won't give you one. In the meantime, you just rest
up and think about what things you want to pack, because we'll
just about have to set up housekeeping on your stuff--leastways,
the front part of the house."
"But, Elam, I won't, I won't! If you do this mad thing I never
will marry you."
She attempted to take her hand away, but he closed on it with a
protecting, fatherly clasp.
"Will you be straight and honest? All right, here goes. Which
would you sooner have--me and the money, or me and the ranch?"
"But--" she began.
"No buts. Me and the money?"
She did not answer.
"Me and the ranch?"
Still she did not answer, and still he was undisturbed.
"You see, I know your answer, Dede, and there's nothing more to
say. Here's where you and I quit and hit the high places for
Sonoma.
Pages:
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490