“That makes me feel good, Sis,” he said quietly. “It also makes me feel bad. You see, you don’t know the thing I’m going to ask you.”
He glanced about the room. Then his gaze came back to the fair-haired creature who was only midway between twenty and thirty, and who he proposed to expose to a life the roughness of which would test her to the uttermost.
“Not ask, Jim.”
The smile accompanying her denial was dazzling.
“No.”
Suddenly Jim spread out his strong hands.
“How would you fancy coming right out West to the heart of the Canadian Rockies?” he began. “How’d you fancy setting up a swell home with me there? There’s no stores or subways there. There’s no Fifth Avenue, or theatres, or bridge parties, or dances. The only noise and bustle you’ll get there is when the wind howls down off the glaciers. There won’t be a thing to worry over but the cold, and snows, and blizzards in winter, and the storms and wash-outs in summer. Then there’ll be the buzzy flies, and the crazy skitters, and the voice of the timber wolves, and the yowl of the coyotes who missed feeding my bones. Maybe you won’t locate Eddie there, but there’ll be other folk who aren’t yearning for the sun of civilisation to shine on them. There won’t be any steam heat, and lots of other things you’re used to. But there’ll be cattle, and horses, and a real live trade, and work that’ll leave you with a joy of life and health you can’t ever get in a city. I’ve got to do something for the ‘down-and-outs.’ I’m filled right up to the neck with a yearning to help the way I was helped. I’ve found the wonderful, sweet grass Valley of Hope. And I want to set its gateway wide open for those folk who haven’t found it. Will you come along, Sis?”
“Why, I’m crazy to.”
The man turned abruptly and hailed the waiter. When the bill was settled he pushed back his chair.
“Come along, Sis,” he said, in a tone that thanked the girl infinitely better than words could have done. “It’s hot enough here with the fans going. Maybe Central Park’ll be a foretaste of hell about now. Any way, we’ll chance it. We’ll take a crawl out there in the open, with that great old sun beating us over the head, and I’ll tell you all the details of the thing I’ve set my heart upon. And we’ll plan it out together.”