alone was worth two hundred and fifty, and that I'd draw on the
other things when I needed money for repairs. Then pa suddenly
had a new notion and said he wanted to be in the thing, too;
would take a quarter interest of his own; that we'd change the
syndicate to fourths instead of thirds.

I was almost too thunderstruck to speak. Think of hearing pa
saying he wished to buy in! It was like an evangelist wanting to
take shares in the devil. I could only say "Pa!" like that, and
gasp.

"I know I'm pretty old to change," he said. "But a fellow must
keep up with the procession, you know. And I always liked the
way they smell."

His eyes were dancing and I saw he meant mischief; but, after
all, the bubble was assured now, and that was the great thing.
It wasn't till up to that moment that I felt really safe.

"I read here in the agreement," he went on, "that the automobile
is taken in rotation by every member of the syndicate; and that
when it's my day it's my day, and nobody can say a word or use it
themselves, even if I don't care to."

"That's how we'll save any possibility of friction," I returned.
"For instance, to-day it is absolutely my car; to-morrow it's
yours; day after to-morrow it is Harry's; the day after that it's
Nelly's--and if anything breaks on your day it's up to you to pay
for it."