"I am very sorry to say,Mr.Fulkerson,"the colonel began,gravely,"that Mr.Dryfoos adheres to his position.""Oh,all right,"said Fulkerson,with unabated joy."It's what Iexpected.Well,my course is clear;I shall stand by March,and I guess the world won't come to an end if he bounces us both.But I'm everlastingly obliged to you,Colonel Woodburn,and I don't know what to say to you.I--I won't detain you now;it's so late.I'll see you in the morning.Good-ni--"Fulkerson did not realize that it takes two to part.The colonel laid hold of his arm and turned away with him."I will walk toward your place with you.I can understand why you should be anxious to know the particulars of my interview with Mr.Dryfoos";and in the statement which followed he did not spare him the smallest.It outlasted their walk and detained them long on the steps of the 'Every Other Week'building.But at the end Fulkerson let himself in with his key as light of heart as if he had been listening to the gayest promises that fortune could make.
By the tune he met March at the office next morning,a little,but only a very little,misgiving saddened his golden heaven.He took March's hand with high courage,and said,"Well,the old man sticks to his point,March."He added,with the sense of saying it before Miss Woodburn:"And I stick by you.I've thought it all over,and I'd rather be right with you than wrong with him.""Well,I appreciate your motive,Fulkerson,"said March."But perhaps--perhaps we can save over our heroics for another occasion.Lindau seems to have got in with his,for the present."He told him of Lindau's last visit,and they stood a moment looking at each other rather queerly.Fulkerson was the first to recover his spirits."Well,"he said,cheerily,"that let's us out.""Does it?I'm not sure it lets me out,"said March;but he said this in tribute to his crippled self-respect rather than as a forecast of any action in the matter.
"Why,what are you going to do?"Fulkerson asked."If Lindau won't work for Dryfoos,you can't make him."March sighed."What are you going to do with this money?"He glanced at the heap of bills he had flung on the table between them.
Fulkerson scratched his head."Ah,dogged if I know:Can't we give it to the deserving poor,somehow,if we can find 'em?""I suppose we've no right to use it in any way.You must give it to Dryfoos.""To the deserving rich?Well,you can always find them.I reckon you don't want to appear in the transaction!I don't,either;but I guess Imust."Fulkerson gathered up the money and carried it to Conrad.
He directed him to account for it in his books as conscience-money,and he enjoyed the joke more than Conrad seemed to do when he was told where it came from.
Fulkerson was able to wear off the disagreeable impression the affair left during the course of the fore-noon,and he met Miss Woodburn with all a lover's buoyancy when he went to lunch.She was as happy as he when he told her how fortunately the whole thing had ended,and he took her view that it was a reward of his courage in having dared the worst.
They both felt,as the newly plighted always do,that they were in the best relations with the beneficent powers,and that their felicity had been especially looked to in the disposition of events.They were in a glow of rapturous content with themselves and radiant worship of each other;she was sure that he merited the bright future opening to them both,as much as if he owed it directly to some noble action of his own;he felt that he was indebted for the favor of Heaven entirely to the still incredible accident of her preference of him over other men.
Colonel Woodburn,who was not yet in the secret of their love,perhaps failed for this reason to share their satisfaction with a result so unexpectedly brought about.The blessing on their hopes seemed to his ignorance to involve certain sacrifices of personal feeling at which he hinted in suggesting that Dryfoos should now be asked to make some abstract concessions and acknowledgments;his daughter hastened to deny that these were at all necessary;and Fulkerson easily explained why.
The thing was over;what was the use of opening it up again?
"Perhaps none,"the colonel admitted.But he added,"I should like the opportunity of taking Mr.Lindau's hand in the presence of Mr.Dryfoos and assuring him that I considered him a man of principle and a man of honor--a gentleman,sir,whom I was proud and happy to have known.""Well,Ah've no doabt,"said his daughter,demurely,"that you'll have the chance some day;and we would all lahke to join you.But at the same tahme,Ah think Mr.Fulkerson is well oat of it fo'the present."
