Part 38 (1/2)
”What do you mean?” she demanded. ”What was it that struck you?”
”Why, Cousin Gussie,” announced Galusha, happily. ”Don't you see? He will be EXACTLY the one.”
CHAPTER X
When, at last--and it took some time--Martha Phipps was actually convinced that her lodger's ”Cousin Gussie” was no less a person than the senior partner of the famous banking firm of Cabot, Bancroft and Cabot, she was almost as excited as he.
”Cabot, Bancroft and Cabot,” she repeated. ”Why, everybody knows about them! They are the biggest bankers in New England. I have heard father say so ever so many times. And this Mr. Cabot, is he really your cousin?”
Galusha nodded. ”Oh, yes,” he said. ”He is my cousin--really he is. I have always called him Cousin Gussie; that is,” he added, ”except when I worked for him, of course. Then he didn't like to have me.”
”Worked for him?”
”Yes, in his office, in the--ah--banking house, you know.”
”Do you mean to say you used to work for Cabot, Bancroft and Cabot? Were you a banker?”
Galusha shook his head. ”No,” he said. ”Dear me, no! But once I tried to be.”
”Oh! And you gave it up?”
”_I_ was given up--as a bad job. If you don't mind,” he added, apologetically, ”I'd rather not talk about that. I've gotten over it a long while ago, or I thought I had, but for a time I--I felt very badly--ah--ungrateful, you know.”
Martha didn't know, nor did she in the least understand, but she did not, of course, press the subject.
”Why, I can hardly believe it,” she said. ”That about your bein' that Mr. Cabot's cousin, I mean. But of course I do believe it, if you say so, Mr. Bangs. And you think he would tell me what to do with this Development stock of mine, whether it is worth anything or not? He would know, if anybody did, that's a fact.”
Galusha nodded a.s.sent.
”He knows all about everything,” he declared; ”everything of that kind, I mean. He is used to making all sorts of--ah--investments for people, and taking care of their money, and all that sort of thing. Why,” he added, as a final clincher, ”he takes care of all my money, really, he does.”
Miss Phipps laughed.
”And that I suppose is enough to keep one man busy,” she observed.
Galusha was too much in earnest to notice the sarcasm.
”I'm sure it must be,” he said. ”I never could do it myself.”
”I can believe that without any trouble. Now what is your idea, Mr.
Bangs; to write to your cousin, tell him everything I've told you, and then ask his advice? Is that it?”
That was not exactly it, apparently. Galusha thought that perhaps he might go to Boston forthwith, on the very next train, and consult Cousin Gussie in person. But Martha did not think this advisable.
”I certainly shouldn't put you to all that trouble,” she said. ”No, I shouldn't, so please don't let's waste time arguin' about it. And, besides, I think a letter would be a great deal better.”
Galusha said that a letter was so slow.
”Maybe so, but it is sure. Truly now, Mr. Bangs, do you believe if you went to your cousin that you could tell him this Development Company yarn without gettin' it all tangled up? I doubt if you could.”
He reflected for a moment, and then ruefully shook his head.