White’s high shrill tones broke in with an imprecation, “Consider—as you’re so fond of the word—that you tried to cheat us, and got caught; consider that you tried to cut our throat, and we’ve cut yours. You might have known you hadn’t a ghost of a chance with us. We know you’re ruined, and we don’t care. Understand that. We don’t care. Any one who thinks he can work that game on us gets left. You’ve got the rotten cargo, and we’ve got your twenty thousand dollars, and we’re going to keep it. If I were you I wouldn’t talk too much about the story, you don’t show up any too well in it.”
“But my wife, my shildrens,” moaned the man.
“See here, Hartmann,” said Nelson, with dignity, “this is business. Either you talk business, or get out of here. On second thoughts you get out of here anyway. We’ve had enough of you for one day. You think so, too, White? Shall I get somebody to put you out, Hartmann? No? Then go!”
He held the office door open, with a compelling gesture of his free hand and a little man, bowed together, weeping and mumbling by turns, came stumbling out as if blinded. As he did so, a boy with papers slipped into the office, and behind him came a tall, pale clerk, with shabby clothes, and a gentle, anxious face.
“Ah, Cramer,” said Nelson, half looking up from the papers as he scanned them quickly in turn before affixing his signature. “What can I do for you to-day?”
“I was told that you wanted to speak to me, sir,” said Cramer.
“Mr. White, I believe, takes your department in hand. White!”
“The fact is,” said White, “we shall not need you after the first of the month, Mr. Cramer. You asked for an increase of salary.”
“I cannot live on what I get now,” said Cramer. “I have others to support.”
“Exactly. We are sorry, but you must understand that we cannot run a charitable institution. This is strictly business. On inquiry, we find that other men in similar positions are willing to live on less than you are getting now, and it is our principle to reduce our expenses whenever we can. You must know that.”