human
But, I say, Kate, I've made up my mind about the telegraph business. There must be a company, and we ought to plan it all out before we tell people and sell shares.
gpt
That's right, cried Kate, who was always ready for a plan.
human
Let's do it now.
gpt
In the first place, we must have a President,
human
That ought to be you,
gpt
Yes, said Harry,
human
I suppose I ought to be President. And then we must have a Treasurer, and I think you should be Treasurer.
gpt
Yes, said Kate,
human
Pshaw! said Harry.
gpt
It's no use to bother ourselves about that. We'd better get the money first, and then see where we can put it. I reckon it'll be spent before anybody gets a chance to steal it. And now then, we must have a Secretary.
human
How would Tom Selden do for Secretary?
gpt
Oh, he isn't careful enough, answered Harry.
human
I think you ought to be Secretary. You can write well, and you'll keep everything in order.
gpt
Very well, said Kate,
human
I'll be Secretary.
gpt
I think, said Harry,
human
I didn't know there was to be an engine,
gpt
Engine! exclaimed Harry, laughing.
human
That's a good one! I don't mean an engineer of a steam-engine. What we want is a Civil Engineer; a man who lays out railroad lines and all that kind of thing. I'm not right sure that a Civil Engineer does plan out telegraph lines; but it don't make any difference what we call the officer. He'll have to attend to putting up the line.
gpt
And do you think you can do it? said Kate,
human
I should suppose it would be a good deal harder to be Engineer than to be President.
gpt
Yes, I suppose it will; but I've studied the matter. I've watched the men putting up new wires at Hetertown, and Mr. Lyons told me all he knew about it. It's easy enough. Very different from building a railroad.
human
It must be a good deal safer to build a railroad, though, said Kate.
gpt
You don't have to go so high up in the air.
human
You're a little goose,
gpt
No, I'm not, said Kate.
human
I'm Treasurer and Secretary of the--What shall we call the company, Harry? It ought to have a name.
gpt
Certainly it ought, said her brother.
human
How would 'The Mica Mine Telegraph Company'--No, that wouldn't do at all. It isn't theirs. It's ours.
gpt
Call it 'The Loudon Telegraph Company,'
human
That would be nearer the thing, but it wouldn't be very modest, though people often do call their companies after their own names. What do you think of 'The Akeville and Hetertown Company'?
gpt
But it won't go to either of those places, said Kate.
human
It will only cross the creek.
gpt
All right! exclaimed Harry.
human
Let's call it 'The Crooked Creek Telegraph Company.'
gpt
Good! said Kate.
human
That's the very name.
gpt
Now, said Kate,
human
We want a good many other things, said Harry.
gpt
I suppose we ought to have a Board of Directors.
human
Shall we be in that?
gpt
I think the President ought to be in it, he said,
human
Well, said Kate, with a little sigh,
gpt
I don't mind.
human
You can be, if you want to, said Harry.
gpt
Wait until we get the Board organized, and I'll talk to the other fellows about it.
human
Are they going to be all boys?
gpt
I reckon so, said Harry.
human
We don't want any men in our Board. They'd be ordering us about and doing everything themselves.
gpt
I didn't mean that. Will there be any girls?
human
No, said Harry, a little contemptuously, it is to be feared.
gpt
There isn't a girl in the village who knows anything about telegraph lines, except you.
human
Well, if it's to be all boys, I don't believe I would care to belong to the Board, said Kate.
gpt
But who are we going to have?