Page:Raymond Spears--Diamond Tolls.djvu/249

 "Never say die," he laughed, "that man's taking it plumb comfortable. See him? He's sitting on his chair, leaning back against his cabin, and letting the river do the work."

"And do the worrying, too." She shook her head. "You have to do that down here—if you want to find the full benefit of Old Mississip'."

"That's so," he admitted, "but when you do hat"

"Nothing matters—you don't care!" she exclaimed with sudden emphasis and feeling. "You know—I used to wonder if people could get so they didn't care for appearances? If there was a place in all the world where you could live and be decent and do what you want to do, and not care, and not feel—not feel hounded."

"You can on Old Mississip'," Urleigh said. "It's wonderful."

"Look at that boat!" she started up.

He took the binoculars and looked.

"Well?"

"I—I almost know that boat," she whispered.

"You—you don't suppose"

"We'll soon know!"

They soon did know. The man sitting on the bow deck of the houseboat was reading, but most of the time he was just viewing the wonderful scene presented