“Consarn your practicality! Are you goin' to help that—that gold-dust twin—that cussed relation of yours, grab Thankful Barnes' house and land from her?”
“Look here, Bangs; when the—gold-dust twin isn't bad—when the twin offered me the position of his attorney and the blanket retainer along with it, who was it that hesitated concerning my acceptance? You? I don't remember that you did. Neither did—others. But I did accept because—well, because. Now the complications are here, and what then?”
“John—John Kendrick, if you dast to set there and tell me you're cal'latin' to—you can't do it! You can't be goin' to try such a—”
“Oh, yes, I can. I may not succeed, but I can try.”
Captain Obed seldom lost his temper, but he lost it now.
“By the everlastin'!” he roared. “And this is the young feller that I've been holdin' up and backin' up as all that's fair and above board! John Kendrick, do you realize—”
“Easy, Captain, easy. Perhaps I realize what I'm doing better than you do.”
“You don't neither. Emily Howes—”
John's interruption was sharper now.
“That'll do, Bangs,” he said. “Suppose we omit names.”