Читать книгу Seibert of the Island онлайн

39 страница из 85

"'Waller, that was a fine joke. Here is that option thing, and I want my thousand dollars.' He says, 'Oh, is that so?' and he takes the option. Then he says, 'I am glad you think it was a good joke. So do I, for I have made another damn Dutchman squeal. Besides, that young fellow needed the money, and I couldn't afford to lose the thousand I give him.'"

Brundage, with his hands full of papers, turned and chuckled grimly: "Clever, clever, Seibert. You lost a thousand, and you have taken four from Combe in six months. You grow rich by such losses."

"To good interest I have the right. I lose that money for twelve years when I need money. I told Combe, too, I must have something too for my making him some more money. I put my labourers over there. I took ten per cent., and in two years I would have made his yield bigger than twenty more. In a few years by himself he will have no things left but beetles and weeds."

"Strange, Seibert"—Williams was speaking with slow intensity—"that you never told anyone of that until now."