Part 15 (1/2)
He shrugged a shoulder, then asked teasingly:
”Well--what were you thinking of doing about it?”
”I said--I promised,” she blurted it out bluntly, ”that we'd loan them money.”
”What!” incredulously.
”I did, Uncle Joe.”
He answered with a frown of annoyance:
”You exceeded your authority, Katie.”
”But you will, won't you?” she pleaded. ”You've never refused me anything that I really wanted badly, and I've never asked much, have I?”
”No, girl, you haven't,” he replied gently. ”And there's hardly anything you could ask, within reason, that wouldn't be granted.”
”But they only need five hundred until he gets into something. You could let them have that, couldn't you?”
His face and eyes hardened.
”I could, but I won't,” he replied curtly.
When Prouty was in its infancy, certain citizens had been misled by Mormon Joe's mild eyes, low voice and quiet manner. His easy-going exterior concealed an incredible hardness upon occasions, but this was Kate's first knowledge of it. He never had displayed the slightest authority. In any difference, when he had not yielded to her good-naturedly, they had argued it out as though they were in reality partners. At another time she would have been wounded by his brusque refusal, but to-night it angered her. Because of her intense eagerness and confidence that she had only to ask him, it came as the keenest of disappointments. This together with her fatigue combined to produce a display of temper as unusual in her as Mormon Joe's own att.i.tude.
”But I promised!” she cried, impatiently. ”And you've told me I must always keep my promise, 'if it takes the hide'!”
”You exceeded your authority,” he reiterated. ”You've no right to promise what doesn't belong to you.”
”Then it's all 'talk' about our being partners,” she said, sneeringly.
”You don't mean a word of it.”
”You shan't make a fool of yourself, Katie, if I can help it,” he retorted.
”Because you don't care for friends, you don't want me to have any!” she flung at him hotly.
He was silent a long time, thinking, while she waited angrily, then he responded quietly and with obvious effort:
”That's where you're mistaken, Katie. If I have one regret it is that in the past I have not more deliberately cultivated the friends.h.i.+p of true men and gentle women when I have had the opportunity. It doesn't make much difference whether they are brilliant or rich or successful, if only they are true-hearted. Loyalty is the great attribute--but,” and he shrugged a shoulder, ”it is my judgment that you will not find it in that quarter.”
”You're prejudiced.”
”It is my privilege to have an opinion,” he replied coldly.
”We were going to be friends--Mrs. Toomey and I--we shook hands on it!”
Tears of angry disappointment were close to the surface.
He replied, doggedly: