I would be willing to venture quite a sum that
when I finish with the youngster he will see the beauty of going
straight hereafter and the desirability of a change of
atmosphere. He's a youngster. I hate to make the matter public,
not only on account of involving you and your friends in such
disagreeable business, but I am sorry for him. I would like to
deal with him like the proverbial 'Dutch uncle,' then I would
like to send him away to make a new start with the assurance that
I am keeping close watch on him. Would you be satisfied if I
handled the matter quietly and in my own way? Could you wait a
few weeks for justice?"
Marian drew a deep breath.
"Of course," she said, "it would be wonderful if you could do
that. But what about Peter Morrison? How much did he know
concerning the plans, and what does he know about this?"
"Nothing," said Mr. Snow. "That most unusual young friend of
yours made me see the light very clearly concerning Peter
Morrison. There is no necessity for him ever to know that the
'dream house,' as Miss Linda calls it, that he is building for
his dream woman has any disagreeable history attached to it. He
so loves the spot that he is living on it to watch that house in
minutest detail. Miss Linda was fairly eloquent in the plea she
made on his behalf. He strikes me as a very unusual person, and
she
appealed to me in the same way. There must be some scientific
explanation concerning her that I don't just get, but I can see
that she is most unusual When I watched them together and heard
them talk of their plans for the house and the grounds and
discussing illustrations that she is making for articles that he
is writing, I saw how deep and wholesome was the friendship
existing between them.
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