.. in the early
Christian era you would have been a church martyr."
* * * * *
I held immediate consultation with Darrie and Hildreth and they were
both scared blue ... but they were game, too.
Darrie, however, unfolded a principle of strategy which I put into
immediate effect ... she advised me to try a bluff first.
When I walked downtown within the hour, to obtain the New York papers,
there was no doubt, by the even more sullen attitude of the inhabitants
that I passed on the street, that something serious was a-foot....
I sauntered up to the news stand, took my _Times_ ... hesitated, and
then tried the bluff Darrie had suggested:
"Jim," I began, to the newsdealer, who had been enough my friend for us
to speak to each other by our first names, "Jim, I hear the boys are
planning a little party up my way to-night!"
"Not as I've heard of, Johnnie," Jim answered, with sly evasion, and I
caught him sending a furtive wink to a man I'd never seen in town
before.
"Now, Jim, there's no use trying to fool me. I'm _on_!"
The newspaper stand was, I knew, the centre for the town's
dissemination of gossip. I knew what I said would sweep everywhere the
moment I turned my back.
"As I said," I continued, "I'm on!" And I looked about and spoke in a
loud voice, while inwardly quaking, "Yes, I know all about it, and I
want to drop just this one hint .
Pages:
620
621
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644