whole structure may crumble and fall, for
lack of another dollar.

"My relations with Grandaddy are peculiar. He was sorely disappointed
that I wasn't a boy. He tolerates me and that's about all. To him,
women are a liability, not an asset. He regards them as a necessary
evil. If anything important is to be done, it must be done by a man.
If he is irritated by some woman's accomplishments he growls out: 'Men
fought for and won the territory and women followed in to take
possession.' And for this reason it was an easy matter to induce him
to come over here with his keyster and take charge. He just couldn't
conceive that a girl could manage a business.

"But notwithstanding his disappointments and my timidity, we've gotten
along very well. When I go away to school he always slips me a bill or
two for spending money. I could feel that he resented my buying a car,
yet he pays for my gasoline without complaint. His bias, prejudice,
and vindictiveness doesn't apply to the members of his immediate
family, but it does apply intensely and vigorously to others. It's
this peculiarity that might wreck the works at this critical time.

"It's a family tradition that Grandaddy never went in debt for
anything. If he hadn't the cash to pay, he didn't buy. But just now,
they are closing out the Bar-O ranch lands, cattle, chattels, and it's
ill repute. If Grandaddy knew of this sale, he would spend every dime
in that keyster of his, and go in debt as far as he could, in order to
own this thing that has been a life's obsession. And if he were to
spend this money, be it much or little, this B-line would be
bankrupt. I have tried to keep the news of this sale away from
Grandaddy just to avoid this catastrophe. If it comes, I am helpless."

During this recital, Adine was seated facing Davy on the footstool.
There were lines in her face that Davy had never seen, a near quaver
in her voice that he had never heard. The Sir Galahad of the Sawdust
Ring had surely found a maiden in dire distress. He wriggled on his
seat, mustering comforting words.

"Well, I don't want to offend by poo-pooing your troubles," said Davy
as consolingly as he could. "Sickness is always bad, but everything is
being done that's possible; your grandfather's acts couldn't work much
harm. You don't owe anything to anybody; your needs are few; your
expenses are at a minimum. There will be a moratorium on taxes and
your few employees would readily accept a note in lieu