Page:Caroline Lockhart--The Fighting Shepherdess.djvu/311

 available for peppermint; with more air to the square inch than any place else in the world, with an inexhaustible bed of fossils under our very noses, all we need to fulfill the dreams of our city's founder is unity of effort and capital, [n other words MONEY! "

" And the longer you stay in Prouty the more you'll need it! "

The jeering voice from the rear of the room belonged to Toomey.

The Club turned its head and looked at the interrupter in astonishment. He was sitting in the high-headed arro- gance with which once upon a time they had all been familiar. Though momentarily disconcerted, Mr. Bute- 5sh collected himself and retorted:

"Perhaps you have something better to offer, Toomey."

"If I hadn't I wouldn't offer it," he replied insolently.

The thought that came instantly to every mind was that Toomey must have had a windfall. How else account for this sudden independence? This possibility tempered the asperity of Mr. Butefish's answer, though it still had plenty of spirit :

" We are ready to acknowledge your originality, Mr. Toomey, and will be delighted to listen."

To Toomey it was a rare moment. He enjoyed it so ceenly that he wished he might prolong it Uncoiling his long legs, he surveyed his auditors with a tolerant air of amusement:

" I presume there are no objections to my mentioning I few of the flaws that I see in the schemes which have 3een outlined? "

"Our time is limited," hinted Mr. Butefish.

" It won't take long to puncture those bubbles," Toomey answered, contemptuously.