"Didn't know they had one."
"Yes, they have. She's soliciting patronage!"
"Well, I'll be damned! You don't mean to tell me that woman was up here to get——"
"My soiled office linen," Prim obligingly finished. "She was, and I let her have every scrap of it," he answered symbolically.
He turned, seized his collar and tie, and reached for the button at the back of his neck.
"Look here, Mike, things aren't going right in this town," Coleman began, having lighted a fresh cigar without offering one to Prim, who went on adjusting his collar. "We had a meeting last night and the general opinion was that you are not holding the situation down as we expected you would."
When there was no reply from Prim, who was holding his head back and struggling to make ends meet over his front collar button, he went on:
"We don't blame you, but the fact is we want to make a change."
"Good idea!" said Prim.
"Glad you feel that way. Knew you would, but the boys thought you might be willing to dispose of the records and papers that have accumulated here." Coleman looked up and caught Prim's eye fixed upon him. "They're of no value to you. And we are prepared to offer you, well, more than they are worth. We——"