“Where did you get this?” he asked faintly after a glance at the paper.
“Oh, it just blew in my way early in the fall. I never bothered to get a new certificate, but I’ll turn it in right now.”
He pulled out a fountain pen, removed the cap deliberately, and wrote his name in the blank space above the executor’s endorsement. This done, he brushed an imaginary speck from his cuff, as he had seen Eaton do, and went out, closing the door softly.
“Well, here’s the answer, Eichberg,” said Copeland, with affected nonchalance; “here are those Reynolds shares.”
“How did that damn’ little fool get this?” demanded Eichberg, after a careful scrutiny of the certificate and endorsements.
“Oh, he’s a useful little damn’ fool! He’s always picking up something,” replied Copeland coolly.
“I suppose it was all set up,” Eichberg sneered. “Why didn’t you come right out and say you had that stock, and save my time? It’s worth something if yours ain’t! You’ll either sell me that stock or I’ll have the court throw you out. It’s up to you!”
“I told you the truth about these shares,” said Copeland, whose good humor was returning. “I’m ashamed to say I’d clean forgotten them; but you see stock never figured much in our corporation; it’s always been a sort of family affair. I have no idea where Amidon got Reynolds’s shares—that’s straight! He’s always doing something he isn’t paid for. And you see it isn’t quite so easy to clean me out. But I take off my hat to you; you’re a business man!”
Hope had risen in him. In spite of his futile efforts to tide over the crisis there was still the remote chance that Kinney, who always seemed able to borrow all he wanted for his own purposes, might extend a helping hand. His change of manner had its effect on Eichberg.
“The stock doesn’t cut any ice,” he fumed. “I’m not goin’ to have a hundred thousand dollars in a concern that’s losin’ money like this one! That statement you showed the bank was rotten! You ain’t got any credit; and you know mighty well you can’t go on here. You’ll either come to terms or I’ll get a receiver to-morrow. That’s all there is of that!”