Part 15 (1/2)
A sort of meditative silence which had fallen upon the two men was broken at last by George, who for some time had been showing signs of uneasiness.
”How long are we going to stay in Seattle?” he inquired.
”Only long enough,” Boyd replied, ”for me to arrange a connection with some bank. That will require a day, perhaps.”
”I suppose a feller has got to dress pretty swell back there in Chicago,”
George ventured.
”Some people do.”
”Full-dress suits of clothes, eh?”
”Yes.”
”Did you ever wear one?”
”Certainly.”
”Well, I'll be--” The fisherman checked himself and gazed at his companion as if he saw him suddenly in a new light; in fact, he had discovered many strange phases of this young man's character during the past fortnight.
”Right along?” he questioned, incredulously.
”Why, yes. Pretty steadily.”
”All day, at a time?”
Boyd laughed. ”I haven't worn one in the daytime since I left college.
They are used only at night.”
George pondered this for some time, while Emerson stared out into the velvet darkness, to be roused again a moment later.
”A feller told me a funny thing once. He said them rich men back East had women come around and clean their finger-nails, and s.h.i.+ne 'em up. Is that right?”
”Quite right!”
Another pause, then Balt cleared his throat and said, with an a.s.sumption of carelessness:
”Well, I don't suppose--you ever had 'em--s.h.i.+ne your finger-nails, did you?”
”Yes.”
The big man opened his mouth to speak; then, evidently changing his mind, observed, ”Seems to me I'd better stay here on the coast and wait for you.”
”No, indeed!” the other answered, quickly. ”I will need you in raising that money. You know the practical side of the fis.h.i.+ng business, and I don't.”
”All right, I'll go. If you can stand for me, I'll stand for the full- dress suits of clothes and the finger-nail women. Anyhow, it won't last long.”
”When were you outside last?”
”Four years ago.”