“Business kep’ me, and Smith here, he stop to peek at a pretty girl for goot as ten minute,” Hans Wyker said jocosely.
Champers stared at Thomas Smith, whose small eyes gleamed back at him.
“Oh, I just turned to look at Miss Shirley in the dining room. Can’t a man look at a pretty girl if he is past forty-five? She didn’t see me, though.” 239
“Naw, she see nopotty but young Aydelot sitting mit her. Why you take oop precious time peekin’ trough der crack in der kitchen door? I be back in a minute vonce. Smitt haf business mit you,” Wyker declared as he turned to the kitchen again.
Left together, the two men sat silent a moment. Then Champers said with a frown:
“What do you want now? We’ve got no business with each other except as I am agent for your rents and mortgages.”
“You seem to fatten on them, or something,” Smith answered insinuatingly. “You lose no flesh with the years, I see.”
“I’ve little occasion to worry,” Darley Champers replied meaningly.
“Not with a fat income like yours and small returns to your employer who’s kept you all these years,” Smith began, but Darley Champers mentally blew up. It was in the bluffer’s game that he always succeeded best.
“Now, see here, dang you. Get to business. You and Wyker and me dissolved partnership long ago. I’ve been your agent years and years. I’ve did my best. I never got so rich you could notice it on my breath. I’m not a thief nor a murderer. I keep inside the law. I broke with you fellows years ago, except straight contract that’ll probate in any court. You are a bully in power and a coward out of it. What the devil do you want with me? I’m no bank. Be clear and quick about it and quit your infernal dodgin’ human beins like a cut-throat. I’ve signed your name to no end of papers for you when you wouldn’t put your own left-handed writin’ in sight. I have 240 your written permit safe for doin’ it. I reckon somebody must a’ put that right hand of yours out of commission sometime. I’ll find out about it one of these days myself.”