"
"She's not the sort of girl who would be dependent in any case. She
holds rather altruistic ideas in fact," remarked Harwood. "I mean," he
added, seeing that Bassett waited for him to explain himself, "that Miss
Garrison feels that she starts life in debt to the world--by reason of
her own opportunities and so on; she expects to make payments on that
debt."
"In debt?" Bassett repeated vacantly. "Oh, not literally, I see! She
expects to teach and help others in that way. That's commendable. But
let me see."
He had taken an unsharpened lead pencil from his pocket and was slipping
it through his fingers absently, allowing its blunt ends to tap the arm
of his chair at intervals. After a moment's silence he plunged into his
own affairs.
"You probably saw my tip to Thatcher in the 'Courier'? I guess everybody
has seen it by this time," he added grimly; and he went on as though
making a statement his mind had thoroughly rehearsed: "Thatcher and I
have been pretty thick. We've been in a good many business deals
together. We've been useful to each other. He had more money than I had
to begin with, but I had other resources--influence and so on that he
needed. I guess we're quits on the business side. You may be interested
to know that I never had a cent of money in his breweries and
distilleries; but I've helped protect the traffic in return for support
he has given some of my own enterprises.
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