Part 4 (2/2)
”Ho, ho!” he chuckled, ”dis ain'no tiuess you don' have so al you'se'f, w'at?
Mebbe you t'ink I forget you Wal, I didn't”
He began to undo the fastenings of a parcel he carried in his ars froifts to the children Necia snatched at the package
”Don't you dare open it! Why, that's half the fun” She was a child herself now, her face flushed and her hands a-tree to the table, she hurriedly untied the knots while he stood watching her, his teeth shohite against his dark face, and his eyes half shut as if dazzled by the sight of her
”Oh, why didn't you tie more knots in it?” she breathed as she undid the last, and then, opening the wrappings slowly, she gasped in astonish black lace gown of Paris make Next she opened a box and took fro jet pluainst her face There were other gars, and a pair of high-heeled shoes to s which she modestly forbore to inspect before the Frenchazed at her, and for whom she had no eyes as yet Finally she laid her presents aside, and, turning to him, said, in a hushed, awe-stricken voice:
”It's all there, everything complete! Oh, Poleon--you dear, dear Poleon!” She took his two big hands by the thumbs, as had been her custom ever since she was a child, and looked up at him, her eyes ith e, and returned to feast her eyes upon it, the two children standing beside her, sprouting out of their rubber boots, with eyes and
”You lak' it, eh?” pressed Poleon, hungry for hed, ”can't you SEE? Where on earth did you get it?”
Then suddenly realizing its value, she cried, ”Why, it must have cost a fortune!” A quick reproach leaped into her face, but he only laughed again
”Wan night I gaht, too For w'ile I play roulette, den I dance, den I play soal She's Franche gal, from Montreal
Dat's de one I tol' you 'bout Ba Gar! She's swell dress', too She's naette”
”Oh, I've heard about her,” said Necia ”She owns a claim on Bonanza Creek”
”Sure, she's frien's wit' Charlie McCormack, dat riche feller, but I don' know it dis tam', so I ask her for dance wit' ne--twenty dollar”
”'Mae for sell me dat dress?'”
”'For w'y shall I sell iht, an' I don' get no more dress lak' dis for t'ousan' dollar'”
Necia exclaimed excitedly
'”For w'y you sell 'im?' I say 'Biccause I'll tak' 'im down to Flambeau for Necia Gale, w'at never had no dress lak' dat in all her life' Wal, sir, dat Marie Bourgette, she's hear of you before, an'
your dad, too--mos' all dose Cheechakos know 'bout Old Man Gale--so she say:
”'Wat lookin' kind of gal is dis Necia?' An' I tell her all 'bout you
Wen I'h she say:'”
”'But er as I am Maybe de dress won't fit'”
”'Ha! You don' know ht of a caribou to five poun' She'll be same size la'kin' one inch 'roun' de wais''”
”'Poleon Doret,' she say, 'you ain' no Franchemans to talk lak'dat
Look here! I can sell dis dress for t'ousan' dollar to-night, or I can trade 'iol'-mine on El Dorado Creek to sooin' sell 'im to you for t'ree hondred dollar, jus' w'at I pay for 'im You wait here till I co, too, for so you don' change your min',' I say; an' I stan' outside her door till she pass et de little shoes,' I say--an' dat's how it come!”