"
"Then you must be a fool, Reade!"
"Thank you, sir. I will add that you're not the first man who has
suspected it."
"You will, therefore, Reade," continued Mr. Bascomb, with his grandest air
of authority, "cause it to become known throughout the camp that you are
not going to interfere any further with any form of amusement that is
brought to the camp evenings by outsiders."
"Is that proposition number two, sir?" queried the young chief engineer.
"It is."
"Then please don't misunderstand me, sir," Reade begged, respectfully,
"but it is declined, as is proposition number one."
"Do you mean to say that you are going to go on with your fool way of
doing things?"
"Yes, sir---until I am convinced that it is a fool way."
"But I've just told you that it is," snapped Mr. Bascomb.
"Then I say it very respectfully, sir, but pardon me for replying that I
don't consider the evidence very convincing. I have shown you why I must
have good order in the camp, and I have told you that I do not propose to
allow gambling or any other disorderly conduct to go on within camp limits.
I can't agree to these things, and then hope to win out by keeping the cost
of the work within the appropriation.
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