"I'll not stand for that!" began the dyspeptic. "I want to say—"
"You'll say nothing, and you'll stand for that," retorted Rawn. "I'll get you the cash here in copper pennies if you like, inside of five minutes. O.K. that paper, and cancel your right to vote. The meeting isn't called to order yet, and the books are not closed."
"That's the talk!" growled a deep voice farther toward the end of the table. The general traffic man of earlier days, Ackerman, of St. Louis, was the speaker. "I'll take half of that myself, Rawn."
"Yes, and divide it with me, Ackerman," nodded Standley, the railway president to whom Rawn had first brought his device.
The dissatisfied director paled yet more. "Oh, well," said he, "if that's the way you feel about it, I'll just call your bluff. Here's my initials; and you're welcome to my stock."
"Record it!" said Rawn tersely, throwing the memorandum across to the treasurer. "Have you got the stock here?"
"Yes, right in my inside pocket," retorted the other savagely.
"Pass it to the treasurer, then, if you please—that is to say, if you will take the assurance of myself and these gentlemen that we'll take up this memorandum."
"Oh, of course I'll do that," assented the other grudgingly.
"Then that'll be about all," said Mr. Rawn. "And as this is to be a directors' meeting, why, maybe—"