She baked delicious pancakes, fried a heaping platter of sausage and put them on the table. Granny and Dan listened intently, prompting him if he omitted the smallest detail, as Jeff told everything about his trip to Ackerton.
When he had finished, he looked pointedly at Dan, declaring, "And finally, I arranged for you to go back to school in September."
"I'm not going," Dan said firmly.
"You must go," Jeff urged. "Dan, you and I can build up a good business here, but unless we always want to carry peddlers' packs, one of us has to know business methods. The place to learn them is in school."
"I want to carry a pack."
"You'll have your chance; it isn't going to work that fast. Think of ten or maybe even fifteen years from now. Imagine a trading post in Smithville and a store in Ackerton with BLAZER AND TARRANT ENTERPRISES in gold letters a foot high across both of 'em." Jeff grinned. "We could cut out the Ltd. If we were partners, we wouldn't be limited any more."
Dan said stubbornly, "I can't go."
"Could you if—if you were satisfied about your pop?"
Dan hesitated. "You promise, Jeff?"
"I promise."