“Thank you, but I have to take the horses in and bring out my mother and the girls.”
“I'll bring you all out in the car. Come on—it's a great night.”
So Ross rather reluctantly came.
He sat back on the luxurious cushions, his arms folded sternly, his brows knit, and the stout gentleman at his side watched him shrewdly.
“How does the ranch go?” he asked.
“Very well, thank you, Mr. Thaddler.”
“Them Chinks pay up promptly?”
“As prompt as the month comes round. Their rent is a very valuable part of the estate.”
“Yes,” Mr. Thaddler pursued. “They have a good steady market for their stuff. And the chicken man, too. Do you know who buys 'em?”
Ross did not. Did not greatly care, he intimated.