“Mammy, do you wish to remain here and hear the rest of this ridiculous story, or must I have Sniffins and his sister taken up to my office? It is too public here for loud talking, and if you wish to save your little girl deep mortification, and her mother the keenest distress, you will control yourself. This is the greatest folly I could have believed any sane being capable of, but if it gets noised abroad it will soon grow into a scandal, as you must realize. Remember this, every one present, Miss Carruth must never learn one word about it if we can keep it from her. Now, go on, Miss Sniffins, and tell all the rest of this wretched folly and, yes, downright rascality, for your brother has placed himself in a very unenviable position.”
“You can’t prove nothin’,” protested Sniffins.
“Prove anything! Man, are you altogether a fool? Intimidating your sister into masquerading under an assumed name, to say nothing of handing over a private memoranda of another person’s business affairs, and, by the way, Miss Sniffins, I’ll take charge of that last memorandum, if you please,” said Mr. Porter, extending his hand toward Katherine.
“No, I’m hanged if you do,” blustered Sniffins, springing toward her.
With a grip like iron Mr. Porter forced him back upon his chair. Katherine handed him a slip of paper from her purse.
“Thank you. Now, Sniffins, I’ve just a few concluding words to say to you, but you will do well to heed them: In the first place, you have made an ass of yourself pure and simple. In the second, you are pretty close to being something far worse. You have done some queer things lately, and tried some very questionable tricks down there on State Street, as you know even better than I do, although, as I hinted to you some time ago, I know enough, and a heap more than you suspect. I don’t want to make trouble for you, or any other man just beginning his career, but I won’t stand for rascality. Now here is your chance and you have no choice but to take it: You gave your sister no choice, remember, and now it’s your turn to eat a little of your own loaf. Ask to be transferred to some other office—the further away the better.”
“Ah—what sort of a game are you puttin’ up?” snarled Sniffins.
“It is you, not I, who have put up the game, and since you’ve begun it you may as well make up your mind to play it out. You can easily get transferred, and that is just what you’ve got to do. This place has grown too warm for you in a good many ways. Your mother is fairly well-to-do, and your sister has this situation.”
“But I can’t keep it! I can’t!” lamented Katherine.
“You must. Once your brother is away you have nothing to apprehend.”