The interview in most respects was inconsequential. As might be surmised, Slack’s quest was for any chance bit of information regarding the rival paper company’s plans that it might be to his advantage to know. His shrewd after-deductions were that Duff was not in the confidence of his own associates.
Duff, on the other hand, left the office of the wily politician no wiser than when he entered, but considerably reassured regarding the delivery of raw material to the mills from the Nannabijou Limits. Slack had a bland, big way of discussing a thing that put others off their guard.
“There are enough poles boomed in Nannabijou Bay to keep your mill running the better part of the coming year,” he told Duff.
“So our inspectors report,” agreed the other.
“The poles being there, we are bound to deliver them on time,” reminded Slack.
“But the contract time for the opening of our mill is drawing near,” complained the Kam City Company’s president, “and delivery hasn’t even been started. Even the absence of Norman Gildersleeve wouldn’t bother me so much if it were under way.”
“There is little for you to lose sleep over on that point, Mr. Duff,” Slack assured him. “Once our present dredging contracts are completed, which I expect will be in a few days’ time, our full complement of tugs, carriers and loading scows will be on the job. Only an act of Providence could prevent the delivery of those poles on contract time.”
“An act of Providence—only an act of Providence?” Duff repeated as he prepared to depart. Just what did Slack mean by dragging that reference in? However, he had tittered it quite casually, Duff remembered, and probably it had no special significance.
Slack had uttered it casually; but at that moment, even the president of the North Star Towing and Contracting Company had no idea of the real cards to be played.
Something of a revelation came to him that very afternoon.