"Humph! you fellows are envious," said Wheaton, with an effort at swagger.
"Oh, I don't know!" said Brown, with rising inflection. "I suppose any of us could do it if we'd put up the money."
"Well," said Wheaton, "if they let you off as cheaply as they did me, you may call it a bargain."
"Oh, he jewed 'em down," persisted Caldwell, explaining to the others, "and he has the cheek to boast of it. I'll see that Margrave hears that."
"Yes, you do that," Wheaton retorted. "Everybody knows that Margrave's an easy mark." This counted as a palpable hit with Brown and Wheelock. Margrave was notorious for his hard bargains. Wheaton gathered up his papers and went out.
"He takes it pretty well," said Caldwell as they heard the door close after Wheaton. "He ought to make a pretty good fellow in time if he doesn't get stuck on himself."
"Well, I guess Billy Porter'll take him down if he gets too gay," exclaimed Brown.
"Porter may leave it to his daughter to do that," said Caldwell, shaking out the match with which he had lighted his cigar, and dropping it into his coffee cup.
"It'll never come to that," returned Brown.