And so it came about that eight months later, one beautiful morning in December, McLaughlin said to the junior partner, "That which I feared has come upon us!"
"What's the matter? Has Skinner asked for another raise?"
"Worse'n that. The Starr-Bacon people have made him an offer!"
"I see! That's because he pried Willard Jackson and others loose from that concern. Probably they want him to use the same method to get those people away from us and back in to the S.-B. fold."
"It's clear what they want. It is n't so clear what we've got to do."
"Raise his pay again," Perkins suggested.
"That ain't enough. Skinner claims he wants broader fields of opportunity."
"I hope he's willing to let you and me run things a while longer."
"I don't know what to do. You see, Skinner proved to be an awfully good man, just so soon as we gave him his head. He's an all-round man. When he was cashier, he not only could collect money from anybody who had a cent, and without losing business either, but he steered us away from some very bad risks that those two enterprising young salesmen, Briggs and Henderson, tried to 'put over' on us."
"That was his business. He was cashier."