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That night the consul and Keough had a long consultation at the
consulate.
"Send them back home," began Keough, reading Johnny’s
thoughts.
"I would," said Johnny, after a little silence; "but I've been
lying to you, Billy. I've told you hundreds of times, that I had
forgotten that girl, haven't I?"
"About three hundred and seventy five times," said Keough. "I
lied," repeated the consul, "every time I never forgot her for one
minute I was a fool to run away just "because she said "No" once. I
talked with Rosine a few minutes this evening at Goodwill's. I found
out one thing. You remember that farmer who was always after her?
Pink Dawson is his name. He doesn't mean anything to her. But that
letter which we sent ruined the last chance I had left. She'll hate me
when she finds out that her old father has been the victim of such a
joke. Shoes! Why, he couldn't sell twenty pairs in Coralio if he stayed
here for twenty years. You put a pair on one of these brown boys and
what would he do? He would stand on his head and scream until he
had kicked them off. None of them ever wore shoes and they never
will. If I send them back home I'll have to tell the whole story, and
what will she think of me? I want that girl more than ever, Billy, and
now when she is here, I've lost her forever."
"Don't worry," said the optimistic Keough, "and let them open
the store. I've been busy myself this afternoon. We can make a
temporary boom in foot-gear. I'll buy six pairs when the doors open.
I've been everywhere and seen all the fellows and explained the
situation. They'll buy shoes as if they were centipedes. Frank
Goodwin will take cases of them. The Geddies want about eleven
pairs between them. Clancy is going to spend all his savings on shoes,
and even old Doc Gregg wants three pairs of shoes. Blanchard saw
Miss Hemstetter; and he is a Frenchman, he will buy no less than a
dozen pairs."
"A dozen customers" said Johnny, "for a $ 4,000 stock of
shoes. It won't work. There is a big problem to solve. You go home,
Billy, and leave me alone. I must think it all over. Take that bottle
with you — not another drop of booze for the United States consul.
I'll sit here tonight, and work out the problem."
Keough left. Johnny put a box of cigars on the table and sat
down in a chair.