"And all you can show us, by way of credit rating, is the fact that your old employer speaks well of you!"
"Well," I returned, thoroughly vexed, "the long and short of it is that I can't pay you just now, and you have just got to wait for your money! But let me tell you this—it's the last red penny of my money you'll ever get!"
Still Mr. Peck replied with his calm demeanor:
"Under those circumstances, Mr. Black, can you give me any reason why we should wait for our money? If you were in my place, wouldn't you be inclined to force collection?"
Before I could reply, he continued:
"I have come down here, Mr. Black, to try to help you, and perhaps I can, but you have got to realize first of all that you haven't treated us fairly."
I was about to protest against this, when he put up his hand and said:
"Wait a minute, Mr. Black. You can't see it in your present frame of mind, and you probably think we are very hard to come down on you like this, when you have been in business only such a short time. That is the reason we take this stand. Had you been in business for some years we should have known you inside and out, and would have known just what to do. Now, if your credit is really good in the town, and you have anything back of you, you can borrow the money and give me my check before I leave town."
"Great guns, man," I cried, "to whom do you think I can go to borrow that amount!"
"Why," said he, "haven't you got a bank account here?"