"There," she said, "is your wherewithal."
Condy stared. "My wherewithal!" he muttered.
"It ought to be enough for over a month."
"Where did you get all that? Whose is it?"
"It's your money, Condy. You loaned it to me, and now it has come
in very handy."
"I LOANED it to you?"
"It's the money I won from you during the time you've been playing
poker with me. You didn't know it would amount to so much, did
you?"
"Pshaw, I'll not touch it!" he exclaimed, drawing back from the
money as though it was red-hot.
"Yes, you will," she told him. "I've been saving it up for you,
Condy, every penny of it, from the first day we played down there
at the lake; and I always told myself that the moment you made up
your mind to quit playing, I would give it back to you."
"Why, the very idea!" he vociferated, his hands deep in his
pockets, his face scarlet. "It's--it's preposterous, Blix! I
won't let you TALK about it even--I won't touch a nickel of that
money. But, Blix, you're--you're--the finest woman I ever knew.
You're a man's woman, that's what you are." He set his teeth. "If
you loved a man, you'd be a regular pal to him; you'd back him up,
you'd stand by him till the last gun was fired. I could do
ANYTHING if a WOMAN like you cared for me. Why, Blix, I--you
haven't any idea--" He cleared his throat, stopping abruptly.
"But you must take this money," she answered; "YOUR money. If you
didn't, Condy, it would make me out nothing more nor less than a
gambler.
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