“Hold on, Ben,” said Gibbs, detaining him with a feeble hand. “Do you know what's wrong? Has Stephen been in any trouble that you know of?”
“Nothing that I know of, general, I give you my word on that.”
“No debts, no escapades that Jake Benson would be likely not to approve of?”
“None so far as I know,” said Wade impatiently.
“Then what's wrong, can you tell me that?” asked Gibbs weakly.
“No, I can't,” said Wade.
“I suppose both of them lost their tempers over some trifle,” speculated the general. “But look here, this ain't no trifle to either of them; the boy's future is at stake; and this is no light matter to Jake either, for all his damn airs! I'll bet they just flared up over nothing at all, and now I want to see 'em flare down and get back to their senses. You're going to see Steve?”
“Yes, that is if he is at his aunt's as I expect he is. I am going there now.”
“Well, you tell him for me, Ben, that I want to see him, to-night at my house, will you do that?”
“Certainly.”