"Cut off two feet," said Dolly, laughingly. "Mr. Billiam says to cut off two feet."
"Off my wings?" yelped Charles-Norton; "off my wings?"
Dolly turned her eyes to Bison Billiam in doubt, in appeal. "It's in the contract, young man," said Bison Billiam. "Haven't you read the contract?" he said, drawing the document from his jacket.
"No, I haven't," said Charles-Norton, shortly. "Let me see it."
And he read, beneath Bison Billiam's pointing finger: "It shall be regarded as a part of this agreement that the length of the flying apparatus, whatsoever it may be, shall be determined by the party of the first part."
"I won't!" thundered Charles-Norton.
"Goosie, dear," implored Dolly; "Goosie, dear, only two feet, and it's in the contract, Goosie, dear——"
He turned upon her fiercely. "Why can't you eat pine-nuts?" he cried; "why, why, why?"
She drew back a step and looked at him with great large eyes, and as he met them, he saw them fill slowly with tears. "I can't," she said simply; "I can't, Goosie." Again Charles-Norton had that sensation of a wreath falling about his neck, a heavy wreath within the soft flowers of which was hidden a good stout chain. "All right; go ahead," he said, with a sigh.
Dolly, with the firmness of a surgeon inexorably sure of what is best for his patient, curtailed the "flying apparatus" to the required length. "Now, let's see you," said Bison Billiam.