-law. He allowed a blob of
black paint to place a period where no period should be while he stared
after Sudden's bulky form in the dust-covered car.

Sudden busied himself in the garage, turning up grease cups and going
over certain squeaky spots with the oil can while he studied the
problem before him. He had once before likened Johnny Jewel to a
thoroughbred colt that must be given its head lest its temper be
spoiled for all time. Just now the human colt seemed inclined to bolt
where the bolting threatened disaster to Mary V. The question of using
the curb or giving a free rein was a nice one; and the old car was
given an astonishing amount of oil before Sudden wiped his hands on a
bit of waste with the air of a man who had just made an important
decision.

"If you've got time," he said to Johnny, when he approached the group
at the plane, "I'd like to have a little talk with you. No hurry,
though. Glad to see you got back all right. You had the whole country
guessing for a while."

Johnny scowled, for the subject was becoming extremely unpleasant.
"I'm sorry--but I don't see what I can do about it, unless I go off and
smash things up to carry out the program as expected," he retorted, and
it did not occur to him that the words sounded particularly ungracious.
The thing was on his nerves so much that it seemed to him even Sudden
was taunting him with the trouble he had caused.

"No, the show's over now, and the audience has gone home. No use
playing to an empty house," Sudden drawled.

Johnny looked at him quickly, suspiciously. He had an overwhelming
wish to know just exactly what Sudden meant. He climbed down and took
the ladder back to the shed near by.

"I'm ready for the talk, Mr. Selmer," he said when he came back.
Whatever Sudden had in his mind, Johnny wanted it in plain speech. A
white line was showing around his mouth--a line brought there by the
feeling that his affairs had reached a crisis. One way or the other
his future would be decided in the next few minutes.

He followed Sudden to the house and into the office room fronting the
corrals and yards. Sudden sat down before his desk and Johnny took the
chair opposite him, his spirits still weighted by the impending crisis.
He tried to read in Sudden's face what attitude he might expect, but
Sudden was wearing what his friends called his poker expression, which
was no expression at all. His very impassiveness warned and steadied
John