h the fruit and stuff and I'll put up the coin for all the stuff
you have to buy--chewing gum, and accessories, and souvenirs and junk
that has to be got in the city, and we'll share even. I'll put up the
capital and be a silent partner. How does that strike you? You two will
be the active partners. We'll make the thing go big. I mean what I say."

"What's a silent partner?" Pee-wee demanded.

"Oh, that's just the fellow that puts up the money and keeps in the
background sort of, and nobody knows he's interested."

"I'd rather be a noisy partner," Pee-wee said.

"I wouldn't be silent for anybody, I wouldn't." Deadwood Gamely paused a
moment, smiling.

"No, but you could keep a secret, couldn't you?" he asked.

CHAPTER XI

TWO IS A COMPANY--THREE IS BAD LUCK

Pee-wee and Pepsy were not agreed about allowing this third person to
buy into their enterprise. Pepsy was suspicious because she could
not understand it. But Pee-wee, quick to forget dislikes and trifling
injuries, was strong for the new partner.

"He's all right," he told her, "and scouts are supposed to be kind and
help people and maybe he wants to reform and we ought to help him get
into business."

"He's a smarty and I hate him and three is bad luck," was all that Pepsy
could say. Then she broke down crying, "Miss Bellison hates him, too,"
she sobbed, "and--and if people sit three in a seat in a wagon one
of them dies inside of a year. Now you go and spoil it all by having
three."

"You get three jaw breakers for a cent," Pee-wee said. "Lots of times
I bought them three for a cent, and I bought peanut bars three for a
cent too, and I never died inside of a year, you can ask anybody."

"I don't care, I want to have it all alone with you," she sobbed.

"If we count Wiggle in that will make four," Pee-wee said, "and none of
us will die. If the customers die that doesn't count, does it?"

Pepsy did not hear this rather ominous prediction about those who would
eat the waffles and the taffy. Her hate and her tears were her only
arguments, but they won the day.

"He's got a Ford," Pee-wee said in scornful final plea, "and he can put
up money enough for us to buy lots of sundries and pretty soon we'll
have money enough to start other refreshment places and he can be the
one to ride around he'll be kind of field manager. It shows how much
girls know about business," he added disgustedly. "I bet you don't even
know what capital m