Page:Fighting blood (IA fightingblood00witw).pdf/244

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

to take a lot of arguing and before I raise the first ten grand I'll probably be hoarse—but I'll get it and don't think I won't. I got my heart set on this, Judy, and what I set my heart on I generally get!"

I look right at her when I say that, and I ain't thinking of the money I got to raise either. And I guess neither was Judy, because that schoolgirl! complexion suddenly turns crimson and she monkeys with the notes on her typewriter desk for a minute.

"Well, Gale, it's certainly an ambitious effort, but I know you'll be equal to it!" she says finally, and shakes my hand. But she pulls hers away when I act like I never want to let go. "I wish you luck," she adds, "and if you don't let me help in some way, I'll—I'll be real angry!"

I stand as close to her as she'll let me and I'm tingling all over—fighting the idea of putting my arms around her, like I always had to fight that idea when I'm near her!

"Judy," I says, "you keep on being nice to me and you'll be helping a lot! That's all you got to do—just act as if—as if you liked me, even a little. Whenever I think you do—say, I feel they's nothing can stop me! I——"

"Of course I like you, Gale," says Judy, calmly shutting me off, as usual. "Now go and start putting your plans into action while you're enthusiastic about them. That's always the best time!"

And she turns back to her typewriter. A polite "Here's your hat, what's your hurry?" Well, as the French says: "alpha beta gamma delta!"