“You are on your way to California,” said Ward, “and you are stopping here over one night. The girl is pretty and graceful and with much charm, but uneducated, and quite empty headed.”
“I will thank you to leave all young ladies out of this discussion,” broke in Johnny hotly.
“This young lady is the whole of this discussion and cannot be left out.”
“Then we will abandon the discussion.”
54“Also,” said Talbot Ward irrelevantly, “did you notice how fat all their mothers are?”
We were wandering forward slowly. Again Johnny stopped.
“I must tell you, sir, that I consider my affairs none of your business, sir; and that I resent any interference with them,” said he with heat.
“All right, Johnny,” replied Talbot sadly; “I am not going to try to advise you. Only I wanted to call your attention to all the elements of the situation, which you probably had forgotten. I will repeat–and then I am done–she is nothing to you, she is beneath you, you are stopping here but one day, she is charming but ignorant–and her mother is very fat. Now go have your fool fight–for that is what you are headed straight for–if you think it at all worth while.”
Johnny’s generous heart must have been smiting him sorely, now that his heat and excitement had had time to cool a little. He followed us a few steps irresolutely. We came to the large tree by the wayside. The man with the fever still sat there miserably indifferent to his surroundings.
“Here, this won’t do!” cried Talbot. “He mustn’t be allowed to sit there all night; he’ll catch a chill sure. My friend, give us your arm. We’ll find you some sort of a bunk.”