You will not regret having
commissioned me to build her."
"Wa'al, I should hope not," said Uncle Ezra, dryly. "So far I've
put eight thousand, four hundred thirty-two dollars and sixteen
cents into this shebang, and I ain't got a penny out yet. It just
seems to chaw up money."
"They all do," said the lieutenant. "It is a costly sport. But
think of the twenty-thousand-dollar prize!"
"I do," said Uncle Ezra, softly. "That's all that keeps me from
thinking what a plumb idiot I've been--thinking of that twenty
thousand dollars."
"Oh, you'll get it!" the lieutenant asserted.
"Maybe--yes. If my nephew doesn't get ahead of me," was the grim
reply.
"Oh, he never will. We'll win that prize," the lieutenant assured
him. "Now there's one other little matter I must speak of. I need
some more money."
"More money! Good land, man! I gave you three dollars and a half
last week to buy something!" cried Uncle Ezra.
"Yes, I know, but that went for guy wires and bolts. I need about
ten dollars for an auxiliary steering wheel."
"A steering wheel?" questioned Uncle Ezra. "You mean a wheel to
twist?"
"That's it. There must be two. We have only one."
"Well, if it's only a wheel, I can fix you up about that all right,
and without spending a cent, either!" exclaimed the stingy old man
with a chuckle. "There's an old sewing machine of my wife's down
cellar. It's busted, all but the big wheel. We had an accident
with it, but I made the company give me a new machine, and I kept
the old one.
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