That will give you time to act independent, and it will give Daddy
time to be ready for you----"
"Mickey, what if he didn't get the land sold?" wavered Douglas. "What if
his trip was a failure?"
"Well that's fixed," said Mickey, stepping from one toe to the other.
"Don't ruffle your down about that. If 'darling old Daddy' has bad luck,
and for staking his money and his honour on his friend, he's going to get
picked clean and dished up himself, why it's fixed so he _isn't!_ See?"
"_It's fixed?_" marvelled Douglas.
"Surest thing you know!" cried Mickey. "You've had your _Pertectorate_ all
safe a long time, and didn't know it."
"Mickey, talk fast! Tell me! What do you mean?"
"Why that was fixed three weeks ago, I tell you," explained Mickey. "When
Mr. Chaffner said you would strike trouble, I wasn't surprised any, 'cause
I've thought all the time you _would;_ and when you did, I went skinning
to him, and he told me _not_ to deliver that letter; and he was grand,
just something grand! He told me what had to happen to save you, so I kept
the letter, and scuttled for Mr.
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