"
"I would rather you didn't," she said. "You could say that father
will be disappointed in him. Father formed rather a good opinion of
him, I know."
"I will tell him," I suggested, "that we shall all be disappointed in
him."
She agreed to that, and we parted. I remembered, when she was gone,
that after all we had not settled terms.
Dick overtook me a little way from home.
"I have settled your business," I told him.
"It's awfully good of you," said Dick.
"Mind," I continued, "it's on the understanding that you throw
yourself into the thing and work hard. If you don't, I shall be
disappointed in you, I tell you so frankly."
"That's all right, governor," he answered cheerfully. "Don't you
worry."
"Mr. St. Leonard will also be disappointed in you, Dick," I informed
him. "He has formed a very high opinion of you. Don't give him
cause to change it."
"I'll get on all right with him," answered Dick. "Jolly old duffer,
ain't he?"
"Miss Janie will also be disappointed in you," I added.
"Did she say that?" he asked.
"She mentioned it casually," I explained: "though now I come to
think of it she asked me not to say so. What she wanted me to
impress upon you was that her father would be disappointed in you."
Dick walked beside me in silence for awhile.
"Sorry I've been a worry to you, dad," he said at last
"Glad to hear you say so," I replied.
"I'm going to turn over a new leaf, dad," he said.
Pages:
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124