"Out, is he?" says I. "Well then, I cal'late we'll wait till he comes in."
"He is out of town. He won't be in till to-morrer," she snaps.
I looked 'round at the rest of the crowd. Every one of 'em nodded.
"Well, then, ma'am," I says, "I cal'late we'll stay here and wait till to-morrer."
That shook her. She got up from the desk and turned to face us. If I'm any judge of a temper she had one, and she was holdin' it in by main strength.
"You may tell me your business," she says. "I am Mr. Frank's—er—secretary."
So I told her. "We've waited for our money long as we can," says I. "None of us are well-off and every one of us needs what's owin' him. We've called and we've wrote. Now we're goin' to stay here till we're paid. Of course, ma'am, I realize 'tain't none of your affairs, and we ain't goin' to make you any more trouble than we can help. We'll just set down on the piazza or in the dinin'-room or somewheres and wait for your boss, that's all."
I said that, 'cause I didn't want her to think we had anything against her personal. I cal'lated 'twould smooth her down, but it didn't. She looked as if she'd like to murder us, every livin' soul.
"You get out of here!" she screamed, her hands openin' and shuttin'. "You get right out of here this minute!"
"Yes, ma'am," says I, "we'll get out of your office, of course. Further'n that you'll have to excuse us. We're goin' to stay right in this house till we see Mr. Frank."