"I presume though, that he will have
some feeling against me for this."
"Very likely," agreed Mr. Vardon. "You will have to be on your
guard."
The young millionaire and the aviator then went into details about
some complicated point in the construction of the Abaris, with which
it is not necessary to weary my readers.
Larson must have recalled what Dick had told him about Uncle Ezra
being a wealthy man, for, as subsequent events disclosed, the
disappointed army officer went almost at once to Dankville. And
there he laid before the miserly man a plan which Uncle Ezra
eventually took up, strange as it may seen.
It was the bait of the twenty thousand dollar prize that "took," in
his case.
Larson had some trouble in reaching Mr. Larabee, who was a bit shy
of strangers. When one, (in this case Larson) was announced by Aunt
Samantha, Mr. Larabee asked:
"Does he look like an agent?"
"No, Ez, I can't say he does."
"Does he look like a collector?"
"No, Ez, not the usual kind."
"Or a missionary, looking for funds to buy pocket handkerchiefs for
the heathen?"
"Hardly. He's smoking, and I wish you'd hurry and git him out of
the parlor, for he's sure to drop some ashes on the carpet that
we've had ever since we got married."
"Smoking in my parlor!" exclaimed Uncle Ezra. "I'll get him out of
there. The idea! Why, if any sun is let in there it will spoil the
colors. How'd you come to open that?" he asked of his wife,
wrathfully.
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