Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 131: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

~ hand. Too Much Business e Shifter? You’re in a fair way to get all the laundry-work in town.” Mx. Shifter gave him a baleful glance. He caught up the bunch of orders, read one and riffled the rest with a stodgy thumb. In the silence the drone of the electric fan filled the room. Then suddenly, without the preface of “hem” or “hum,” Mr. Shifter exploded into speech: ‘What do you take me for, you two? Do you think I don’t see the kick in this cor- ner you're forcing on me? All the work in the city? I can’t handle it. You know it. It’s a conspiracy to ruin me!” Matt interrogated his attorney with an injured air. “How? By increasing his business, ac- cording to contract?” “T repudiate the contract!” bawled the baited laundryman. “It’s robbery!” “Robbery?” Matt’s face was a picture of bewilderment. “Mr. Williams, this is beyond me. I bring him in thousands of dollars of work, and he says I am robbing him. ? “Come now, Shifter,”’ soothed the attor- ney. “Be reasonable. Of course you don’t mean what you said. It’s libelous. Sign the receipt and let Mr. Bailey go. He’s a busy man.’ Mr. Shifter, weltering in the sweat of his very bones, screamed a reply. “Pll see you both in Hades first! I’ll send my lawyers to you. I'll fight. You can’t bulldoze me, Williams. I- know ou!’’ “It appears you don’t,” remarked Will- iams, getting to his feet. He reached forth and took the pack of orders from the other’s “Mr. Bailey will go on with his con- tract. Meanwhile consult your counsel. I’ll be delighted to hear what they have to say.” He set out for the door, Matt follow- ing. | It is said that before the eyes of a drown- ing man the events of his life hurtle by at lightning speed; and so, in the suffocating moment, that ensued for Mr. Shifter as the two- minatory figures crossed the few breadths of Brussels between desk and door, he saw the folly of his course. These men were to be placated, not opposed. “Hold on!” he gasped. “What will you settle for?’’ Williams stayed his steps on the thresh- old. Matt returned a step. 129 “What do you mean?” he questioned. “My commission on these present orders is nine hundred and sixty dollars, payable on demand. And I won’t cut it, you mean?” “I don’t ask you to cut it,” Mr. Shifter hastened to assure him. His voice was oily now. “I'll pay it, do the work, and give you five hundred dollars bonus to call the deal off. That’s liberal, ain’t it— square?” Matt gazed upon him compassionately. “My dear man! you’re asking! I estimate my contract to be worth to-me easily twenty thousand dol- lars. Really now, you mustn’t say these things. It’s nonsense.” Mr. Shifter’s mind, dodging this way and that for an avenue of escape from his fright- ful predicament, came suddenly upon. it. He would farm the business out among the other laundries! They’d be glad to get back the work the infernal mechanism this man had set in motion would snatch away from them. He brightened, and said with _ artful dissimulation: “Tt can’t last, Bailey. You'll fall down in a day or two. So go ahead; Pll do the work. Give me the orders.” “The receipt,” prompted Williams from the door. Mr. Shifter signed it, and stood definitely committed to his contract. “Now,” said Matt, “my commission, please. ‘After this we will make the settle- ments weekly, if you wish.” “Without prejudice to your right of de- mand,” prompted the lawyer again.’ “Certainly; I reserve the right,” stipu- lated Matt. Mr. Shifter yielded. The orders unques- tionably were valid. Williams would not dare to be a party to an open fraud; and the reports of his own men were convincing, Matt went away, able now to finance his project for another week. It was not until minutes later, so sadly muddled were his wits, that it dawned on Mr. Shifter he had paid commissions on work that would come in only in piecemeal, scattered over ten long weeks. At this rate he would be spending thousands of dollars What do Do you know what in commissions months in advance of equal. receipts. He put on his hat and tottered out into the street. He would see his lawyers; but first his condition required a drink. AAIICG .00K (E(@) (ECO)