Will straightened up.
“I won’t go,” he said.
The doctor grinned.
“Throwing away good money, eh? We’ll have to raise the price of toad-stools again, to even up. But, seriously, I advise you to go to Mr. Williams, as he requests you to. He isn’t half a bad fellow. His only fault is that he makes more money than any one man is entitled to.”
“You don’t really think he’ll—he’ll want to pay me anything, do you?”
“No; he wants to thank you, as any gentleman would, for a brave, manly action.”
For the first time Will grew embarrassed, and his face became as red as a June sunset.
“I’d rather not, you know,” he said, undecidedly.
“It’s the penalty of heroism,” remarked the doctor, with assumed carelessness. “Better go at once and have it over with.”
“All right,” said Will, with a sigh of resignation.