“Why, how serious you are, Bessie. How should I know what the pater’s up to?”
“If you’re going to prevaricate, Wallie, I’ll not ask any more questions.”
“Oh, come, now, Bess, business is business—”
“I didn’t regard our chat as just business,” she replied.
“Of course it isn’t. I meant between Davy and the governor. Anyway, I don’t see why you shouldn’t know—if you’ll promise not to say a word to any one.”
“Do you need to ask me that?”
“No,” he answered hesitatingly. He glanced at his sister, noting the faint pallor of her delicate features. “Poor Bess,” he thought, “she’s hit harder than I imagined.”
“Well, I’ll tell you, Bessie. Things haven’t been running smoothly in the office. The pater’s really in bad shape financially. We had a chance to make good on a land deal up North till Davy blundered on to the same thing, and he’s got the whip-hand. If we can interest Davy—”
“You needn’t say any more, Walter. I understand—”
“I’ll tell you all about it when we have more time, Bess, but we’re too near—” He grasped her arm and threw himself in front of her as the car slid sideways, the rear wheels skidding across the pavement as the chauffeur jammed the brake-pedal down and swung the steering-wheel over at the same instant.