“Hang it, Hansel, I think this place looks bum enough as it is without any homemade truck stuck around!”
“Oh, you’ll like it when it’s up,” answered the other cheerfully.
“I’ll bet I don’t! Besides, if you’ve got money to spend on furnishing the room, you’d better buy a chair with it.”
“We’ve got chairs enough. Besides—Dorr needs the money.”
“Oh!” said Bert, with a sudden change of expression. “So that’s it, eh? Why didn’t you say so? If you’re doing it to help Phin——”
“I’m not; at least, not altogether.”
“Bet you are,” said the other more amiably. “He was up here last week with a yarn about wanting to do carpentering. I guess he has a pretty tough time of it.” There was a moment’s silence. Then, “Look here,” he said, “I’m going to pay half, you know.”
“No, I’ll pay for it. It’s my affair.”
“How is it? This study’s as much mine as it is yours, isn’t it?”
“Of course.”