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Show 10 "Bet they d i d n ' t care," Mr, Call said, grinning. Old Mr. McPhee grabbed old Mrs. Howard and they danced around the table, Mrs. Howard holding her wig with one hand, and gasping, "Whee, whee." "This c a l l s for a celebration," Mr. Call shouted. "Yes, yes, a b o t t l e of wine with breakfast," Mrs, Maxwell exclaimed. She patted my cheek. "For you, too, Jimmy," she said, laughing. "We'll have to build another Nob H i l l , " Mr. Adamson shrieked i n my e a r. I sat down a t the table in dizzy bewilderment. I had never known l i f e as a carnival. "I saw them," I announced. "Dragging t h e i r suitcases bulging with gold. I gave one a ride-" No one was l i s t e n i n g to me. So I j u s t ate my eggs and toast, smiling to myself. That crazy old miner had s t a r t e d a gold stampede and ended the depression overnight. "You're l a t e , kid," Almo y e l l e d , although eight o'clock was the time I always arrived at the l i v e r y . "Waterfront's hopping l i k e the Easter bunny. Everybody's going North. Gold up there! Everybody's crowding on steamers. Everybody's going crazy, buying boots and shovels and dehydrated eggs and wanting i t hauled from one place to another-" |
