CHAPTER XVII
IN THE TOILS
When Eric and Phil met at their desks on Monday morning the banker’s son was “savage as a meat-ax.” He scowled and muttered over his work and slammed the big books here and there as if he owed them a grudge.
Phil paid no attention to this exhibition of temper, which he believed due to the failure of Riverdale to win the boat race. He knew that Eric had been betting heavily with his cronies and the Bayport people, and since the young man was already deeply in debt these added losses might affect him, seriously. So Phil devoted himself quietly to work and let Eric rave.
Gradually the young fellow quieted down. He was in no mood for work that day, and paid little attention to the books. But he smoked so many cigarettes, one after another, that the air was blue, and Mr. Boothe left his coop long enough to request Eric to desist from choking him with the offensive fumes.
“I am not well,” added the cashier; “so I ask you to be considerate.”
Eric tossed his cigarette away and Mr. Boothe returned to his coop.
“Phil,” said Eric, abruptly, “do you know where I can borrow some money?”
“Perhaps your father will let you have it,” was the reply.
“The gov’nor! Never. He’d haul me over the coals if he knew I was hard up on my princely salary of eighteen a week.”
Phil made no comment. Said Eric, after a period of thought: