The Ely miner., 1930-12-19
CHAPTER IV-Continued
-10-

Roberta arrived at her fathers chair
and listened impatiently to his pro-
posal, her eyes blazing with indigna-
ton. "Why can't some one else take
him down to the village? / don't like
him. | think he's the most disagree
able young man / ever knew and ]
simply don't see why August can't
drive him."
He looked at her little sadly:
"Surely, Roberta, even the most mod
ern of daughters would not think it
extraordinary if her father, who cam
not do it himself, asked her to intro
duce his secretary at the bank and
also take him up the river to show
him the viaduct Cob"
at isn't that" Roberta said sullenly,
not a little ashamed of herself.
"Then what is it?" her father asked.
and there was a tired note in his voice
as well as evaporation.
81 have an engagement for today"
"That's too bad. I'm afraid I'll have
to ask you to cancel it. What l ask
won't wait. It's business"
Il can't" Roberta began and then
stopped. 81 don't want to cancel it,
Father. Can't we manage ii some
other way? l could get one of the
boys down at Green Bend to take him."
He hesitated and then decided to
trust her. There's been a little diff
Guilty about the payroll in the city,
and I'm not going to risk any outside
knowledge of how much money | have
here or what | am asking Sir George
to do for me-" 20.
Roberta stiffened. "You mean you
won't let me off"
Her father shook his head YEARLY:
81 have explained why"
''NO, l don't think you have. You've
just given me an order and apparently
business comes before anything else"
.'It does just now" Macbeth said
It slowly 81 wish you could see 1t as
] do, Bobbie. The money isn't just
money and the loss of it wouldn't be
Just the money loss. | have insured
faith with the men. The money means
home and food and clothing for all
these men and they depend on me to
deliver it to them on the day I've
promised IL Il can remember when
you were wee thing, Bobbie, how
much my weekly wage meant to your
mother and to me-"
He had used the little old pet name
that had been given her as a baby, but
II did not soften Roberta. She stood
silently regarding him, searching In
her mind for some plea that would
make him listen. She knew now, by
the look in her fathers eyes, that Ii
was hopeless. She must either do
this thing or precipitate final quar-
rel, that would leave her nothing TO
do but go away at once. She was not
vet prepared for flight. She might
have to come to it some day and soon,
but not now.
blue car still stationary. She raised
her arm and waved twice over her
head, the signal they had both agreed
upon as "Wait for me-" and then
turned TO her father. "Tll 60 and
break the engagement then. But
shan't forget, Father. You owe me
something for this"
She was gone before Robert Mac
Beth could say anything, and the next
minute was running down the beach
to the bridge.
By the blue car very angry young
man stood waiting.
"Well!" be snapped, "what do you
want me to wait for? Isn't 1t enough
that Pm caught like this hereT'
Il can't help it, Jack" Roberta said
breathlessly. "It's all off for today.
Father wants me to take his secretary
to the bank" She blurted it out be-
fore she remembered that her father
especially wanted no one to know.
Oh, well, Jack didn't count! 1t would
tell him nothing, anyway.
But it did interest Jack. He stopped
: his tlnkering and fussing and looked
at her.
"What bank and why do you have
to take him?"
.1ts the village bank, and l don't
know why exception. yes, | do!
Father wants them to know him so
that he can cash checks and so forth" !"
Hmm Jack regarded her quietly.
''Well, if not today, let's make 1t
tomorrow"
Roberta regarded him with troubled
eyes. She shook her head "TOmOr-