Part 4 (2/2)
”Mr. Franklin, have you a cheque book?” she inquired.
”Yes, I have,” he responded with alacrity.
”Then I'll write a cheque for the eight dollars if that will be satisfactory,” Penny offered. ”The Breens are friends of mine.”
”That will settle the bill in full, Miss Parker.”
Whipping a fountain pen from his pocket, he offered it to her.
”Penny, we can't allow you to a.s.sume our debts,” Rhoda protested. ”Please don't--”
”Now Rhoda, it's only a loan to tide us over for a few days,” Mrs. Breen interposed. ”Ted will get a job and then we'll be able to pay it back.”
Penny wrote out the cheque, and cutting short the profuse thanks of the Breens, declared that she and Louise must return home at once.
”Driving into Riverview?” Mr. Franklin inquired. ”My car is in the garage, and I'll appreciate a lift to town.”
”We'll be glad to take you, Mr. Franklin,” Penny responded, but without enthusiasm.
Enroute to Riverview he endeavored to make himself an agreeable conversationalist.
”So the Breens are friends of yours?” he remarked casually.
”Well, not exactly,” Penny corrected. ”I met Rhoda at school and visited her for the first time today. I couldn't help feeling sorry for the family.”
”They're a no-good lot. The old man never works, and the boy either can't or won't get a job.”
”Do you have many such families, Mr. Franklin?”
”Oh, now and then. But I weed them out as fast as I can. One can't be soft and manage a tourist camp, you know.”
Penny smiled, thinking that no person ever would accuse Mr. Franklin of being ”soft.” He had the reputation of ruthless devotion to his own interests. Changing the subject, she remarked that Mrs. Marborough had returned to the city to take up residence at Rose Acres.
”Is that so?” Mr. Franklin inquired, showing interest in the information.
”Will she recondition the house?”
Penny replied that she had no knowledge of the widow's future plans.
”No doubt Mrs. Marborough has returned to sell the property,” Mr.
Franklin said musingly. ”I should like to buy that place if it goes for a fair price. I could make money by remodeling it into a tourist home.”
”It would be a pity to turn such a lovely place into a roadside hotel,”
Louise remarked disapprovingly. ”Penny and I hope that someday it will be restored as it was in the old days.”
”There would be no profit in it as a residence,” Mr. Franklin returned.
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