“‘My word!’ he says, ‘where did you get this?’
“‘Well,’ I answered, ‘London’s a big selling point with us—you can’t trade with the English and not take their stuff, can you? The Johnny whose name’s on that stuff put it up with me—same as I’m putting it up with you. There’s fourteen of them. Ain’t they good for fifty thousand?’”
“He spread the certificates out on the table and run his fingers over them. It was old-fashioned love-touchin’.
“‘Oh!’ his voice flickered up, ‘beyond question.’
“‘Done!’ I says. ‘Keep it until I come back with your money—an’ get me the cash before noon to-morrow.’
“‘Don’t you want a memorandum?’ he says.
“I waved my hand, careless, like it was nothin’.
“‘That’s all right,’ I says; ‘I don’t want any promises about that, but there is a thing that I do want a promise about.’
“I threw my cigar in the fireplace and set down.
“‘I want you to promise me that you won’t ever say anything to Carrots about this, nor to anybody; it’s between us—she’s a high-strung youngster,’ I added; ‘this thing’s got to be buried with us, no matter what happens. Is it a trade?’