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Why should she, unless some one else had madethe suggestion to her? This sort
of thing could not go on long in Denboro withoutattracting some notice. In the
morn-in, in the mornin by the bright light, When Gabriel blows his trumpet in
the morn-in.
Prophecies dont come true theminute theyre made, he
retorted.
Abijah, stop teasing; dont mind him,Hettie. CHAPTER XMargaret
Bradford sewed no more that evening.
Capn Truman may have a few plans of her
own.
When at noon he rose to go home for dinner he hadreached a conclusion in
his thinking. He hasnt been in at the office fortwo or three days. Youll be
helping your uncle andhis crowd. There isntbusiness enough for two banks, but
there is quite enough for onesound, strong one.
And, notice having been
attracted, gossipfollowed. I have something to tell you,Uncle Abijah, he
added.
This speech was gravely made, but Banks did not like it.
The answerto
the question was undeniable: It had changed since he knewElizabeth
Cartwright.
Truman was the first to put the flea in my ear.
Youre not to tell a
souluntil the word is given and public announcement is made. When at noon he
rose to go home for dinner he hadreached a conclusion in his thinking. You are
afraid I amtrying to pull a trick on Capn Abijah and his crowd. Why should she,
unless some one else had madethe suggestion to her? I dont know; they dont tell
me, of course.
She likedDenboro ever so much better than she had at first, she
said.
That bookkeeperll be losin her job if she aint more careless. Nothin to
do with Banks or you or Margaret or any other Bradfordexcept me.
And I doubt if
your Silies name is written down in em, Margaret;I doubt it very much. Boy, I
came here to-day to tell you about thisbank-mergin business, just the sames he
told it. It took a clever youngster to get away with it as youdid. But I didnt
think youd let it stand in Banksway. There, there, dont act so innocent; it
doesnt fool anybody.
And suppose somethin should come ofit, he went on, in
earnest this time, what of that?
Now Im thinking of sharing that nursingwith
somebody else.
Ibelieve Hettiell agree with me, for once.
If this isnt balm in
Gilead then Ill sell the farm and go to sea! Margaret would have spoken, but
the captain was enjoying himselfand he spoke first. The shock shook his serene
complacency to thefoundations. But do please think it all oververy carefully.
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