"Look a-here, Houston, I don't allow anybody to talk to me that a-way," said Joe, growing angry.
"I am not going to talk to you about that," Sam hastened to explain. "Is Hank in the house?"
"No; there ain't nobody here but me. What do you want?"
"Do you know," added Sam, lowering his voice, "that Hank has discovered a pearl worth two hundred dollars?"
"Aw! Go on."
"Don't talk so loud. He certainly has, and Bob brought it to Vollar to say how much it was worth."
"Be you telling me the exact truth?" said Joe, who did not know whether to believe this strange story or not.
"I am, and I got discharged from the store on the strength of it. He gave the money to Bob, and Bob has gone off to sea, with nobody here to get the money."
"I'll get it," answered Joe, who grew mad in a minute that anybody should try to conceal matters from him. "I'll go up and tell 'em it's mine and I have got to have it. But how did you happen to find out all about this?"
"You can't get the money, for it is in Bob's name. I found out all about it while listening in the store. I was making out some bills, and heard every word that passed between my employer and Bob."