Sharp little sketches, such as Buttle had seen, notes concerning Buttle,
Fox, Tread, Kedgers, and less accomplished workmen; concerning wages
of day labourers, hours, capabilities. Buttle, if he had chanced to see
them, would have broken into a light perspiration at the idea of a young
woman having compiled the documents. He had never heard of the first
Reuben Vanderpoel.
Her father's reply to Betty was as long as her own to him, and gave her
keen pleasure by its support, both of sympathetic interest and practical
advice. He left none of her points unnoted, and dealt with each of them
as she had most hoped and indeed had felt she knew he would. This was
his final summing up:
"If you had been a boy, and I own I am glad you were not--a man wants a
daughter--I should have been quite willing to allow you your flutter on
Wall Street, or your try at anything you felt you would like to handle.
It would have interested me to look on and see what you were made of,
what you wanted, and how you set about trying to get it. It's a new kind
of deal you have undertaken. It's more romantic than Wall Street, but I
think I do see what you see in it. Even apart from Rosy and the boy,
it would interest me to see what you would do with it.
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