Finally steps were heard, both by Bascomb and by the pair who watched him.
Then another man came upon the scene.
"Evarts, why on earth did you send for me?" demanded Mr. Bascomb, as the discharged foreman came up.
"Because I knew you'd be here—-you don't dare do otherwise," was the sneering reply.
"Try not to be impudent about it," advised Mr. Bascomb mildly. "As you may remember, I've had to stand a lot from you."
"And not as much as you might have to stand, either, if I took it into my head to make matters lively for you," jeered Evarts harshly. "Remember, man, you'll do as I want you to do."
"I'm willing to do what I can for you," replied the president. "But—-"
"Now, don't throw any of your 'buts' at me," broke in the discharged foreman, roughly. "You failed me in one thing—-you didn't make Reade take me back on the job, as I told you to do."
"I couldn't," pleaded Mr. Bascomb. "Prenter stood with Reade and was against me."
"You're the president of the company, aren't you?" Evarts demanded sullenly.
"Yes; but Prenter is a bigger man in the company, and he has more influence with the board of directors. If Prenter came out against me, and persuaded the other directors that I was a bad asset for the company, they'd act on Prenter's suggestion and remove me from the presidency."