"I expect you to make her stick to her engagement," he cried. "And make
her make him stick. She can, can't she? It's been announced, hasn't it?
Everybody knows of it! She's got the right--the legal right to hold him,
hasn't she?"
His uncle regarded him with a quizzical smile. "Why, ye-es," he
answered, "I cal'late she has, maybe. Course, there's no danger of his
wantin' to do such a thing, but if he should I presume likely we could
make it uncomfortable for him, anyhow. What are you hankerin' for,
Steve--a breach-of-promise suit? I've always understood those sort of
cases were kind of unpleasant--for everybody but the newspapers."
The boy was in deadly earnest. "Pleasant!" he repeated. "Is any of this
business pleasant? You make her act like a sensible girl! You're her
guardian, and you make her! And, after that, if he tries to hedge, you
tell him a few things. You can hold him! Do it! DO it!"
Captain Elisha turned on his heel and began pacing up and down the room.
His nephew watched him eagerly.
"Well," he demanded, after a moment, "what are we going to do? Are we
going to make him make good?"
The captain paused. "Steve," he answered, deliberately, "I ain't sure as
we are. And, as I've said, if he's got a spark of decency, it won't be
necessary for us to try.
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