Mr. Jones and the shipping clerk ate breakfast together the next morning as usual, and set out in company for the store. Neither of them referred to the matters that had been discussed the night before. They were so disagreeable that Guy did not want to talk about them if he could help it, and Mr. Jones was much too cunning to speak of them himself. He knew that the leaven was working, and he wanted to give it plenty of time.
When they reached the block in which the store was located, Mr. Jones begun casting anxious glances about, as if he were looking for some one. Presently he discovered a man, dressed in a shabby genteel suit of black, standing in a door-way on the opposite side of the street. This individual, seeing that Mr. Jones’ eyes were fastened upon him, nodded his head, slapped the breast-pocket of his coat, and made other signs which must have been perfectly intelligible to Mr. Jones, for he replied to them by various gestures of approval and delight.
Guy remained at the store but a few minutes—just long enough to receive some instructions from Mr. Walker—and then went out and hurried toward the levee.
As soon as he had disappeared, Mr. Jones walked to the door and flourished his handkerchief once or twice in the air; whereupon the shabby individual in the opposite door-way hurried down the sidewalk to the nearest crossing, came over to Mr. Jones’ side of the street, and with an air of bustle and business entered the store and inquired for Mr. Walker.
On being shown into the private office he placed his hat on the floor, and pulling out a memorandum-book, which was filled with papers, folded and endorsed like bills, said:
“You may have heard of me, Mr. Walker. My name is Hyslom, and my business is collecting bad debts. I am a professional dun, at your service. If it will not conflict with the rules of your establishment, I should like a few minutes’ interview with Mr. Harris.”
At this the merchant begun to prick up his ears.
“The shipping clerk is absent just now,” said he. “May I be allowed to inquire into the nature of your business with him?”
“Certainly, sir,” replied the pretended collector. “It is no more than right that you should be made acquainted with the habits of your employees. Mr. Harris, it seems, has been rather fast during the last few months, spending money with a lavish hand, and running in debt to livery stables, billiard saloons, tailoring establishments and beer gardens. I have bills against him to the amount of two hundred dollars and over. I am well aware of the fact that he is perfectly good, for as he is a very wealthy young man and a nephew of yours, I really——”
“Sir,” said the merchant, “Mr. Harris is no relation to me.”