Each
day of waiting found him covering his disappointment and anxiety with a
more cheerful prophecy.
"I've been thinking, Miss Martha," he said, "that Cousin Gussie must be
MOST interested in the--ah--Development Company. I really believe that
he may be considering going into it himself--ah--extensively, so to
speak. The more he delays replying to our letter, the more certain I am
that this is the case. You see, it is quite logical. Dear me, yes. If he
were not interested at all he would have replied at once, any one would.
And if only a little interested, he would have replied--say, at the end
of a week. But now he has taken almost three weeks, so--so--well, _I_
think we may infer GREAT interest, personal interest on his part. Now,
don't you think so, Miss Martha?"
Martha shrugged. "Accordin' to that reasonin," she said, "if he never
answers at all it'll be because he's interested to death. Well, it
begins to look as if that might be it. There, there, Mr. Bangs, I
mustn't talk that way, must I? We won't give up the ship as long's the
pumps work, as father used to say."
It was the first symptom of discouragement she had shown. The next
morning Galusha crept downstairs before daylight, left a note on the
dining table saying he would be back next day, and started on his long
tramp to the railway station. At noon of that day he entered the Boston
office of Cabot, Bancroft and Cabot.
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