BOOK 8
ILLUSTRATIONS
FROM DRAWINGS BY WILL OWEN
A very faint squeeze in return decided him |
DUAL CONTROL
"Never say 'die,' Bert," said Mr. Culpepper, kindly; "I like you, and sodo most other people who know what's good for 'em; and if Florrie don'tlike you she can keep single till she does."
Mr. Albert Sharp thanked him.
"Come in more oftener," said Mr. Culpepper. "If she don't know a steadyyoung man when she sees him, it's her mistake."
"Nobody could be steadier than what I am," sighed Mr. Sharp.
Mr. Culpepper nodded. "The worst of it is, girls don't like steady youngmen," he said, rumpling his thin grey hair; "that's the silly part ofit."
"But you was always steady, and Mrs. Culpepper married you," said theyoung man.
Mr. Culpepper nodded again. "She thought I was, and that came to thesame thing," he said, composedly. "And it ain't for me to say, but shehad an idea that I was very good-looking in them days. I had chestnuttyhair. She burnt a piece of it only the other day she'd kept for thirtyyears."
"Burnt it? What for?" inquired Mr. Sharp.
"Words," said the other, lowering his voice. "When I want one thingnowadays she generally wants another; and the things she wants ain't thethings I want."
Mr. Sharp shook his head and sighed again.
"You ain't talkative enough for Florrie, you know," said Mr. Culpepper,regarding him.
"I can talk all right as a rule," retorted Mr. Sharp. "You ought to hearme at the debating society; but you can't talk to a girl who doesn't talkback."
"You're far too humble," continued the other. "You should cheek her abit now and then. Let 'er see you've got some spirit. Chaff 'er."
"That's no good," said the young man, restlessly. "I've tried it. Onlythe other day I called her 'a saucy little kipper,' and the way she wenton, anybody would have thought I'd insulted her. Can't see a joke, Is'pose. Where is she now?"
"Upstairs," was the reply.
"That's because I'm here," said Mr. Sharp. "If it had been Jack Butlershe'd have been down fast enough."
"It couldn't be him," said Mr. Culpepper, "because I won't have 'im inthe house. I've told him so; I've told her so, and I've told 'er auntso. And if she marries without my leave afore she's thirty she loses theseven hundred pounds 'er father left her. You've got plenty of time—tenyears."
Mr. Sharp, sitting with his hands bet