I saw him yesterday forenoon, and we went into a clinch and
fought each other all over my private office. Matt got the decision.
I thought he might have called you up to discuss with you his plans
for the future. When he left me yesterday he was on his way back to
the office of the Red Stack Tugboat Company to tell the port captain
he could stick some other skipper on the tug Sea Fox."
Florence clapped her hands ecstatically. "Oh, goody, goody!" she
cried.
"Well, it might be worse."
"Why is he resigning? To go to work for you, as I wanted him to do
six months ago?"
"Well, I'll tell you, Florry," Cappy began. "I know you're going to
be disappointed, but the fact of the matter is we've just got to let
that boy paddle his own canoe--though, to hear him talk, he's going to
operate his own line of steamers! Matt doesn't think in canoes when
the subject of the merchant marine is up for discussion any more than
I think in cent pieces when I'm wrestling with a banker for a loan.
He has resigned from the tug Sea Fox to go into business for himself!"
"But how can he? He hasn't any money, you silly man!"
"Oh, yes, he has. I gave him twenty thousand dollars yesterday. He
had that much credit on the Blue Star books from his share of the
recharter of the steamer Unicorn nearly two years ago.
Pages:
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273