“Well, it’s rather important, of course,” admitted Connorton.
“An important trifle!” commented Hartley, whereat Connorton became somewhat flustered.
“If you will permit me,” put in Paulson, coming to his principal’s relief, “I think I can make the whole thing clear in a few words.”
“Go ahead!” said Hartley; “but be careful. Joe has his eye on you, too.”
Paulson was not so disturbed as Connorton had been; but his smile was not that of a man who was wholly at his ease.
“The assignment that you gave Mr. Connorton,” he explained, “is not valid; that is, it does not clearly and certainly transfer the rights that both you and he thought it did. Now, all he wants is to have those rights definitely and surely transferred to him, and he has brought along a paper for you to sign that will make the purpose clear. It should be acknowledged before a notary, but it will put the matter in a little better shape if you sign it anyhow. Then we can have an entirely new assignment properly executed when we get back.”
“That’s the whole story, is it?” queried Hartley, reaching for the paper.
“Yes.”
“It merely clinches a sale already made,” urged Paulson.
Hartley took a fountain-pen from his pocket, uncapped it, shook it to get it flowing freely, and then laid it down.