The forward movement of the sport car made safe Harford's back-thrown jibe:
"He didn't forget, Pape. He _remembered_ not to ask you to ride. It's been a generation since Judge Allen has appeared in police court. He's through with you, as are the rest of us."
"Oh, no, he ain't," the ranchman called after the car, with what outward cheer he could exact from his inner confidence. "He's only begun with me--he and the rest of you."
In retrospect the maliciousness of the rich real-estater's snub gained upon him. So he was not and never could be of their sort--was a social ineligible!
He didn't feel that way. In blood, brain and brawn he always had considered himself anybody's equal. And what else mattered in the make-up of he-man? He owed it to the expanses from which he had come--limitless space, freedom of winds, resource to feed the world--to show Harfy, the Sturgises and even the Lauderdales just what, from what and toward what he was headed. He owed it to the graduate school of the Great West to prove the manliness of its alumni. He owed it to all the past Peter Stansburys and Papes who had done and dared to demonstrate that the last of the two lines had inherited some degree of their courage, good-faith and initiative. Before to-day he had been asked as to his family tree. He must show these Back Easters some symbol of the myriad horsepower of the roof of the continent, a share in which had strengthened him to defy difficulty and command success. Why should he? For certain he wouldn't be Why-Not Pape if he let them twit him twice! He'd show them--by some sign, he'd show them that he, too, was born to an escutcheon rampant!
As he started toward Lexington Avenue and a disengaged taxi, he searched the sea of resource for the likeliest channel through which to bring his promise-threat into port and the anchorage of accomplishment.
Interrogatory argument had forced most answers in Pape's career. Now two of a pertinent order forced an italicized third which, under limitations of the moment, was unanswerable.
Why delay a reappearance before his self-selected lady?
By way of excuse, why not realize on that well-bred dare of Aunt Helene--why not make good on his agreement to match the Sturgis coat-of-arms with that of the house of Pape?
