"You must let me repay you my part of the fare, Mr. Coleman,"
said Luke, again feeling for his pocketbook.
"Oh, it's a mere trifle!" said Coleman. "I'll let you pay next
time, but don't be so ceremonious with a friend."
"But I would rather pay for myself," objected Luke.
"Oh, say no more about it, I beg. Claflin provides liberally
for my expenses. It's all right."
"But I don't want Claflin to pay for me."
"Then I assure you I'll get it out of you before we part.
Will that content you?"
Luke let the matter drop, but he didn't altogether like to find
himself under obligations to a stranger, notwithstanding his
assurance, which he took for a joke. He would have been surprised
and startled if he had known how thoroughly Coleman meant
what he said about getting even. The fifty cents he had with such
apparent generosity paid out for Luke he meant to get back a
hundred-fold. His object was to gain Luke's entire confidence,
and remove any suspicion he might possibly entertain. In this
respect he was successful. Luke had read about designing
strangers, but he certainly could not suspect a man who insisted
on paying his hack fare.
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