But I'll catch him!" he
cried with new fury. "Here," he said, pulling a roll of bills
from his pocket. "I'll bet you I'll catch him. How much do you
want to bet?"
Undesirous of offering any added inducements toward his own
capture, Jimmy backed away both literally and figuratively from
Alfred's proposition.
"What's the use of getting so excited?" he asked.
Mistaking Jimmy's unwillingness to bet for a disinclination to
take advantage of a friend's reckless mood, Alfred resented the
implied insult to his astuteness.
"You think I can't catch him?" he exclaimed. "Let's see the
colour of your money," he demanded.
But before Jimmy could comply, an unexpected voice broke into the
argument and brought them both round with a start.
CHAPTER VII
"Good Heavens," exclaimed Aggie, who had entered the room while
Alfred was talking his loudest. "What a racket!"
Her eyes fell upon Jimmy who was teetering about uneasily just
behind Alfred. She stared at him in amazement. Was it possible
that Jimmy, the methodical, had left his office at this hour of
the morning, and for what?
Avoiding the question in Aggie's eyes, Jimmy pretended to be
searching for his pocket handkerchief-- but always with the
vision of Aggie in her new Fall gown and her large "picture" hat
at his elbow. Never before had she appeared so beautiful to him,
so desirable--suppose he should lose her? Life spread before him
as a dreary waste.
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