FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   >>  
I guess we've got enough to spare you a little." So the three of them sat down to supper around the draughting-table, and between bites Bannon talked, a little about everything, but principally, and with much corroborative detail--for the story seemed to strain even Pete's easy credulity--of how, up at Yawger, he had been run on the independent ticket for Superintendent of the Sunday School, and had been barely defeated by two votes. When the sandwiches were put away, and all but three drinks of the coffee, Bannon held the bottle high in the air. "Here's to the house!" he said. "We'll have wheat in her to-morrow night!" They drank the toast standing; then, as if ashamed of such a sentimental demonstration, they filed sheepishly out of the office. They walked fifty paces in silence. Then Pete checked suddenly and turned to Bannon. "Hold on, Charlie, where are you going?" "Going to look over those 'cross-the-house conveyor drives down cellar." "No, you ain't either. You're going to bed." Bannon only laughed and started on toward the elevator. "How long is it since you had any sleep?" Pete demanded. "I don't know. Guess I must have slept part of the time while we was putting up that gallery. I don't remember much about it." "Don't be in such a hurry," said Pete, and as he said it he reached out his left hand and caught him by the shoulder. It was more by way of gesture than otherwise, but Bannon had to step back a pace to keep his feet. "I mean business," Pete went on, though laughing a little. "When we begin to turn over the machinery you won't want to go away, so this is your last chance to get any sleep. I can't make things jump like you can, but I can keep 'em going to-night somehow." "Hadn't you better wrap me up in cotton flannel and feed me warm milk with a spoon? Let go of me and quit your fooling. You delay the game." "I ain't fooling. I'm boss here at night, and I fire you till morning. That goes if I have to carry you all the way to your boarding house and tie you down to the bed." Pete meant it. As if, again, for illustration, he picked Bannon up in his arms. The boss was ready for the move this time, and he resisted with all his strength, but he would have had as much chance against the hug of a grizzly bear; he was crumpled up. Pete started off with him across the flat. "All right," said Bannon. "I'll go." At seven o'clock next morning Pete began expecting his return. At eight he
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   >>  



Top keywords:
Bannon
 

morning

 

chance

 

fooling

 

started

 
things
 
cotton
 

flannel

 
supper
 

gesture


draughting

 

caught

 
shoulder
 

machinery

 
laughing
 

business

 
grizzly
 
crumpled
 

resisted

 

strength


expecting

 

return

 

illustration

 

picked

 

boarding

 

reached

 

sentimental

 

demonstration

 

ashamed

 

standing


Yawger

 
sheepishly
 

credulity

 

checked

 

suddenly

 
turned
 

silence

 
office
 

walked

 
drinks

coffee
 

bottle

 
barely
 
defeated
 

sandwiches

 

School

 
independent
 

morrow

 
ticket
 

Sunday