GEORGE GAFFNEY'S STATEMENT
"I cannot tell you all Peter Polk has done," said George Gaffney, on beginning his story, "but I can tell you all so far as it concerns his purchase of goods from Bann & Shadow."
"That will be enough," answered Andrew Shalley, and brought out a book and a pencil, to take notes.
"He came to our firm three years ago and began to purchase various goods for the Helen Shalley. At first he met all bills promptly and never asked for any rebate or commission. That lasted for about three months."
"He must have been feeling his way."
"He was. At the end of six months he made a claim of a rebate on a bill for a hundred and fifty dollars and we allowed him ten dollars. Then he got ten dollars more on another bill, and after that he claimed a rebate of ten per cent. on everything he bought of us."
"You have all those bills on your books?"
"We have."
"Good. Go on."
"He gradually got bolder and wanted me to aid him in getting a commission elsewhere on regular steamboat supplies. I was willing to make a little extra money and introduced him to the firm of Leeson & Bronette. Leeson is an easy-going man and he promised Polk a big commission on all goods purchased. Polk bought hundreds of dollars' worth of goods from them, and got, I am pretty sure, from fifteen to twenty per cent. on every bill paid."