Nell didn’t like my not noticing how glad she was feeling, I suppose, for all at once, as I was about to sugar another cup of coffee, she ran her hands through my hair and yanked till I couldn’t pretend any longer.
“There, now, with your mind off your stomach, perhaps you’ll look up and converse when a lady deigns to notice you. How much money did Mr. Withrow lose on the race?”
“I don’t know, but it was a good pile; I know that.”
“And how much did Mr. Duncan win?”
“I don’t know that, either; but I hope it was a good roll, for he won about all Withrow lost.”
“M-m––but aren’t you in love with your old employer? But let’s not mind common money matters. What do you think of the Johnnie Duncan for a vessel?”
“She’s a dog––a dog.”
“Isn’t she! And the fastest, able-est and the handsomest vessel that ever sailed past Eastern Point, isn’t she?”
“That’s what she is.”
“And who designed her?”