Hurriedly, with every one, it seemed, babbling nonsense of remote
matters, they sat at a table, and ate of cold food from around a bed of
flowers. Bean ate frankly. He was hungry, but he took his part in the
talk as a gentleman should.
They were toasting the bride in champagne.
"Never drink," protested Bean to the proffered glass.
"Won't happen every day, old top," suggested the waster.
He drank. The sparkling stuff brought him new courage. He drained the
glass.
"I knew they were trying to keep me off that board of directors," he
confided to Breede, "specially that oldest one."
"That your first drink s'morning?" asked Breede in discreet tones.
"First drink I ever took. Had two eggs's morning."
"What board of directors?" asked Breede suspiciously.
"Fed'l Express. I wanted that stock for a technical purpose--so I could
get on board of directors."
Breede looked across the table to Grandma. There seemed to be alarm in
his face.
"Given it up, though," continued Bean. "Can't be robbing tired business
men. Rather be a baseball king if you come down to that. I'll own three
four major league clubs before year's out. See 'f I don't! 'S only kind
of king I want to be--wake me up any time in the night and ask me--old
George W. Baseball King. 'S my name. I been other kings enough. Nothing
in it. You wouldn't believe it if I told you I was a king of Egypt once,
'way back, thous'n's years before you were ever born.
Pages:
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266