Читать книгу Jessica Trent's Inheritance онлайн

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Till, just as Mr. Sharp was rising to rejoin Mrs. Trent and Aunt Sally in another room, he bethought himself to “count noses” and found himself one nose short. One empty chair faced him, one fine old presence was missing:

“Hello, here! Where’s ‘Forty-niner?’ Didn’t he come with you from the station?”

The ranchmen stared at him and at each other; then said John Benton, gravely:

“I remember now, he didn’t. Plaguyest proud old chap ever handled a shotgun. Wouldn’t be beholden to anybody for even one dinner. Well! He’s had experience of Los Angeles an’ ought to know his bearings. Might ha’ stepped round to that hospital he’s forever talking about, or to that old crony tavern-keeper’s o’ his’n. But he’ll turn up before train starts for Marion and home. Couldn’t keep him off Sobrante ranch though you set the dogs on him. Thinks none of us, that’s a mite younger’n him, has got sense enough to run things without his everlasting poke-nose thrust in. Lady Jess, she was pleased to tell him she’d made him ‘Superintendent’ of the whole shooting-match an’ that was one time our ‘Captain’ made a little mistake. But he’s sort of touchy like and if he gets too top-lofty we can easy set him down a peg. I’d like some butter, waiter; and I’d like enough to see, this time.”