Part 15 (2/2)
”Ah, well, we shall see, and--who's that coming up to the door?”
Joe looked out from the window, and came back directly.
”The Colonel, dad. Shall I go and let him in?”
”Yes, fetch him in, and stop here and give me a hint now and then if I get a little irritable. What you have told me makes me feel rather cross, and I shall have to give him a bit of my mind. I can't let him go and waste his money like that.”
Joe hurried out to the front hall, and found that Gwyn had accompanied his father, the former having been hidden by the shrubs as they came up to the door.
CHAPTER TEN.
FINDING AN INTRUDER.
”Well, old man; on the sick list?” began the Colonel, shaking hands warmly with his friend. ”What's the last bulletin?”
”Bad, bad,” said the Major, sharply. ”Just heard that a man I respected is going to make a fool of himself.”
”Eh? What?” said the Colonel, flus.h.i.+ng. ”Who's been chattering about-- ahem! Are you alluding to the mine on my property, Major Jollivet?”
”No, sir,” said the Major, sitting up, ”I was speaking about the hole by the cliff that was dug by a pack of greedy noodles who were not satisfied with their incomes, and I felt that I should not like to see an old friend of mine go shovelling his money down into it, and breaking his wife's heart.”
”Then it was like your--ahem, ahem!” coughed the Colonel, checking himself. ”No, no; don't go away, boys,” for Gwyn was stealing out, followed by Joe.
”No, don't you boys go,” cried the Major; ”it will be a lesson for you both.”
”Father been very bad, Joe?” said the Colonel.
”Very bad, indeed, sir,” said the boy.
”Silence, sir!” cried the Major. ”Nothing of the sort. Don't exaggerate, Joe.”
”No, father.”
”He doesn't, d.i.c.k. You've had a nasty touch this morning, or you wouldn't have spoken to me like that.”
”I couldn't help it, old man,” said the Major, warmly. ”But surely you will never be so mad as to go pumping out that old place.”
”H'm! I don't know about mad. Be useful to make a little money for the sake of the boy.”
”Very bad to lose a great deal for the sake of the boy.”
”Nothing venture, nothing win, d.i.c.k. I'm beginning to think that it would be worth while to put some money in the venture, and I came up this morning to make you the first offer of joining in.”
”And throwing away my bit of money, too. No, sir, not if I know it.
I'm not quite such an idiot as that.”
”You mean as I am,” said the Colonel, quietly.
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