Part 11 (1/2)
He nodded ”We can leave at sunrise,” he said ”I have my own horses at Tete Jaune and there need be no delay We were to start into the North fro me about?”
She had looked at him quickly
”Yes Old Donald,for me a week That's why I was so deuced anxious to rush the book to an end I' nervous It's rather an unusual enterprise that's taking us north this ti back to write the tail end of a book He has lived sixty years in the mountains His full name is Donald MacDonald Sometimes, back in my own h he'd lived for ages in these mountains instead of sixty years If I could only write what he has lived--even what one ine that he has lived! But I cannot
I have tried three times, and have failed I think of hihty ranges His kind passed away a hundred years ago You will understand--when you see him”
She put her hand on his arhtly as they walked
Into her eyes had returned solow of yesterday
”I want you to tell me about this adventure,” she entreated softly ”I understand--about the other You have been good--oh! so good tome to explain It is only fair and honest that I should I knohat is in your mind, and I only want you to wait--until to-morrow Will you? And I will tell you then, e have found the grave”
Involuntarily his hand sought Joanne's For a single moment he felt the warm, sweet thrill of it in his own as he pressed it ht ahead A soft flush grew in Joanne's cheeks
”Do you care a great deal for riches?” he asked ”Does the golden pot at the end of the rainbow hold out a lure for you?” He did not realize the strangeness of his question until their eyes , ”this adventure of ours isn't going to look very exciting to you”
She laughed softly
”No, I don't care for riches,” she replied ”I areat education proves to one how little one knows, so great wealth brings one face to face with the truth of how little one can enjoy My father used to say that the golden treasure at the end of the rainbow in every hu which you cannot buy So why crave riches, then? But please don't let my foolish ideas disappoint you
I'll promise to be properly excited”
She saw his face suddenly aflae, but you're a--a brick, Joanne!” he exclai in his breast pocket He brought out his wallet and extracted froiven hiiving it to her ”I thought those figures ht represent your fortune--or your inco you I went over 'em carefully There's a mistake in the third column Five and four don't make seven They make nine In the final, when you come to the multiplication part of it, that correction will make you just thirty-two thousand five hundred dollars richer”
”Thanks,” said Joanne, lowering her eyes, and beginning to tear the paper into small pieces ”And will it disappoint you, Mr John Aldous, if I tell you that all these figures stand for riches which some one else possesses?
And won't you letway from what I want to know--about your trip into the North?”
”That's just it: we're hot on the trail,” chuckled Aldous, deliberately placing her hand on his arhted to knoe're going tandem in that respect I've never had any fun with money It's the money that's had fun with me I've no use for yachts and diaun over, and I haven't worn a white shi+rt in a year My publishers persist in shoving more money my way than I knohat to do with
”You see, I pay only ten cents a plug for ly So up in Heaven and laughing at the jokes He plays onnow and then at the tussle between men and money over all creation There's a whole lot of huht and die for money, if you only take ti big or dramatic about it I s is to see the world wringing its neck for a dollar And Donald--old History--needs even lesselement of humour in this expedition of ours We don't want money, particularly Donald wouldn't wear more than four pairs of boots a year if he was a billionaire And yet----”
He turned to Joanne The pressure of her hand ar, and her red lips parted as she waited breathlessly for hi to a place where you can scoop gold up with a shovel,” he finished ”That's the funny part of it”
”It isn't funny--it's treasped Joanne ”Think of what a ht achieve, the splendid endowht make----”
”I have already made several endowreat ifted to make endowments, I think, above most people Not one of the endowments I have made has failed of complete success”
”And may I ask what some of thereat, greatthem were three endowments which I made to some very worthy people at various times for seven salted ray? At other times I have endowed railroad stocks which were verymite, two copper companies, a concern that was supposed to hoist up pure asbestos from the stomach of Popocatapetl, and a steamshi+p company that never steamed As I said before, they were all very successful endowments”
”And how ently, looking down the trail ”Like--Stevens', for instance?”