“Why, he’d sell to old Crocker again the next minute! Throgmorton doesn’t want to buy in for himself. I don’t believe he’s got any hundred and fifty to his name. Billy Crocker has probably arranged the whole transaction. He picked on Throgmorton because Throgmorton wouldn’t arouse suspicion and you wouldn’t dream that old man Crocker was behind him. But Billy made the silly mistake of letting me see them together; and that got me thinking.”
“I guess you’re right,” agreed Russell dejectedly. “Although even if Mr. Crocker owns a minority interest he can’t do much damage, can he? I’ve still got the say about things. I don’t mean that it would be very pleasant—”
“Wake up, son! How long do you suppose you’d keep on doing business if old Crocker wanted to close you up? He’d find plenty of ways to put the store on the blink. No, sir, it won’t do, Rus, and you’ve got to find some way of fooling ’em.”
“You’re right, Jimmy. Well, I don’t believe that Stick will sell to Throgmorton when I tell him this. He’s a pretty decent sort, after all. He will be disappointed—”
Jimmy laughed incredulously. “Why, you silly chump, Stick Patterson does know! At least, I’m pretty sure he does. I’ll bet he and old Crocker fixed it up between them.”
“Oh, no, I don’t believe that,” Russell expostulated. “I don’t believe Stick has ever even spoken with Mr. Crocker.”
Jimmy looked puzzled. “Hasn’t spoken to him? Why, how about that time when Crocker was in the store? Saturday before last, wasn’t it?”
Russell looked blank. “Saturday? You mean that Mr. Crocker was in our store and talked to Stick? Are you sure?”
“Of course. J. Warren told me. Said the old guy was there half an hour or more talking with Patterson. He couldn’t tell what they were talking about, but he said it looked like something important. I thought of course Patterson had told you.”
Russell shook his head. “He didn’t say a word about it,” he replied soberly. He was silent a moment. Then, “I wouldn’t have thought it of Stick,” he sighed.