Part 3 (1/2)
”You don't live here, do you?” asked Frank, sure he would have heard so a string of cars
”I should hope not!” said the boy scornfully ”Not in this dead little hole! I guess you don't know me I am Jardin, Horace Jardin My father is the automobile uess you have!” chuckled young Jardin ”You couldn't go anywhere on the globe without seeing the Jardin cars Dad puts out more cars than any other two concerns on earth” He assue my name! Makes a fellow so conspicuous, you know”
”Well, _I_ didn't knoho you were until you told
Jardin flushed Evidently he could not take a joke that was levelled at himself
”No, I suppose there are a few rube places like this where the people have never heard of the Jardin car”
Frank hastened to s prince who talked so easily Frank had to ad, but he assured his square again
”You are wrong there,” he said ”It would be a good deal smaller place than Lawton before the people had to be told about the Jardin car Of course I didn't know that you were Jardin, but I couldn't be blaold cigarette case froht offered it to Frank who refused, but with a feeling of disgust that he was unable to take one and s
”The little fool!” a , but Jardin either did not hear or care
”Where is the other boy ns the car?” he asked
”Down the street,” said Frank ”I forgot all about him We are in town for the day His father is an instructor at the School of Fire at Sill, and mine is stationed at the Aviation School”
”That's what I ao to school and stay all through the winter, I a lessons down at Garden City, and ive o to school Gee, I hate it!”
Frank sed hard Two automobiles and an airplane! He co east to school this fall,” he said ”Where are you going?”
”I don't know yet,” said Jardin ”I have got to talk it over with dad”
”Let's go find Bill,” said Frank ”That is, if you haven't anything better to do”
They detached the house, where they found Bill just tucking a bulky bundle under his arht his sweater and stopped to count his change before he turned to greet the boys
”Gee, what an old woman's trick,” said Frank, anted to let Jardin know that _he_ was not afraid to spend
”You e?” Bill inquired
”Yes,” said Frank
”You are right,” Jardin cut in ”I never have time _My_ time is more valuable than a few cents the fellow may swipe from me”
”Suppose it is the other way around,” said Bill ”Suppose the fellow has made the mistake When the checks are made up, his shows the loss and he has to make it up Not much fun for him Perhaps he has a family and he can't afford it I never used to bother either, but once I was taking dinner in New York with a friend of mother's who has oodles of money, and when he came to pay the check he looked every itee and it was thirty cents overcharged I suppose I looked funny, because he said to htened out, 'Bill, it is no special credit to let these fellows do you If you want to give ars on the streets, or you can buy millions of shoe laces and pencils But never let anybody think they can put it over you'
”And then to show the other side, that is, when the other fellow makes an honest mistake, he told ht the right change, got a tip, and we left But I always count change now”