“Took up with them Atkinses, have you?” says Mr. Gage.
“The Atkinses have taken me into partnership, if that’s what you mean,” says Jack, still smiling.
“They’ll do you,” says Mr. Gage. “Nothin’ but tramps off’n the road. Maybe wuss, for all I know. Folks don’t want ’em in town, and if you git mixed up with ’em, folks won’t want you.”
“Has Mr. Atkins or his son done anything dishonest to anybody in this town?”
“Not as I know of.”
“Have they acted in any way other than as decent folks?”
“Wa-al, course they been puttin’ on a good face. Waitin’ their chance,” says Mr. Gage.
Jack wasn’t smiling any more. “Your name’s Gage, isn’t it? Well, let me tell you something. Mr. Atkins and Catty have given me a chance when nobody else had any use for me. Maybe I’m going to be a help to them. I hope so. I knew all about them before I came. I’m going to stay. I’m Mr. Atkins’s partner and I’m going to remain Mr. Atkins’s partner.... Maybe he’s a bit shiftless. But he’s a man of his word, Mr. Gage, and that’s a lot. He may have been a tramp, but he doesn’t sneak around trying to injure people who never did him any harm. Mr. Atkins is as good as I am, Mr. Gage, and I have a notion that both of us are a sight better than a heap of you backbiters in this town. Am I clear? We’re in business here, and we’ll stay in business here. Good afternoon.”
With that Jack just turned around and walked off, leaving Mr. Gage googling after him like he had bumped his head and was seeing stars.
“Bully for you, Jack!” says I.