I'll send her up to
'Frisco to school first. That's what the row was about before she left
home. The little minx defied me, so I picked her up and brought her with
me out to Hong-Kong."
"Poor child! She probably sees now that you were quite right."
"Maybe she does and maybe she doesn't. She's a wily little scamp all
right. I discovered that the second day out. I'd forbidden her to write
any letters to the ranch, so she was keeping a log-book which she was
going to mail at every port."
"And were you hard-hearted enough to confiscate it?"
"I was. At least I ordered her to give it to me on the spot, and she
said she'd chuck it overboard first."
"And did she!"
"She did," said the captain, with a grim chuckle.
"You don't understand that girl," said Mrs. Weston. "I'm quite sure
she'd be amenable if she were handled right. However, she doesn't seem
to be breaking her heart. Between Andy and the Honorable she's finding
consolation."
"Most women do," said the captain, with one of those flashes of
bitterness that sent all the good humor scurrying out of his face.
"Of course, she's just playing with Andy," Mrs. Weston hurried on,
fearful of the memories she had stirred; "but Mr. Hascombe is different.
He is so good-looking and so polished, almost any girl would have her
head turned a bit by his attentions."
"You don't mean to say that you think Bobby--"
"I can't quite make out. She doesn't seem to see much of him on deck,
but at the table she hasn't eyes or ears for any one else.
Pages:
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69