And then--then he would come back to her.
The next morning, at the moment when Barbara and Steve were mounting
their horses, for she wanted to ride with him a little way, Dexter
Allison chose to disclose something which had been but lately in the
process of preparation. He joined them at the edge of the lawn, before
the white-columned house on the hill.
"Easing back into harness, I understand," he began, not quite
comfortably, however, for he was aware of a gleam of disapproval in his
daughter's eyes, at this interruption. "Well, there's no great rush,
but it's wise, no doubt, to see that things don't lag." He hesitated,
and shifted heavily to the other foot. "We'll want to start through to
the border by fall, I suppose?"
"We'll be ready," Steve had to laugh at his lack of ease.
"No doubt--no doubt!" Again Dexter hesitated, momentarily. And then
there came to the surface that proneness to accept men for what they
were, in a man's world, which had long before convinced Caleb Hunter of
Allison's inherent bigness.
"Elliott resigned the Presidency of the East Coast Company last night."
The statement was brief to actual crispness. "I merely tell you this
so that you can begin to lay tentative plans accordingly. Because, in
view of the immediate need of filling that vacancy, I feel sure that
there will be too many demands upon your time, here at the Morrison
office, for you to plan on much field work for yourself in the future.
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