“Why-how do I know? We may have.”
“Did you?”
“Say 'yes,' for God's sake,” hissed Chippingham “or you'll land in the pen!”
“I am informed that we did,” answered Greenbaum defiantly. “That is, I don't say we did. Very likely we did. Our books would show. But I repeat-we disavow this circular and we deny any responsibility for this man, Elderberry.”
This man, Elderberry, who for twelve long years had writhed under the biting lash of his employer's tongue, hating him with a hatred known only to those in subordinate positions who are bribed to suffer the “whips and scorns of time, the oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,” quivered and saw red. He was going to be made the goat! They expected him to take all the responsibility and give them a clean slate! The nerve of it! To hell with them! Suddenly he began to cry, shockingly, with deep stertorous suspirations.
“No-you won't!” he hiccuped. “You shan't lay the blame on me! I'll tell the truth, I will! I won't stand for it! Your Honor, they want to reorganize Horse's Neck because they think there's a vein in Amphalula that crosses one of the old workings and that it'll make the property worth millions and millions.”
Utter silence descended upon the court room-silence broken only by the slow ticktack of the self-winding clock on the rear wall and the whine of the electric cars on Park Row. One of the tall hats crept quietly to the door and vanished. The others sat like images.
Then the court said very quietly: “I will adjourn this matter for one week. I need not point out that what has occurred has a very grave interpretation. Adjourn court!”
Old Doc Barrows, the two Tutts and Miss Wiggin were sitting in Mr. Tutt's office an hour later when Willie announced that Mr. Tobias Greenbaum was outside and would like an interview.
“Send him in!” directed Mr. Tutt, winking at Miss Wiggin.
Mr. Greenbaum entered, frowning and without salutation, while Doc partially rose, moved by the acquired instinct of disciplinary politeness, then changed his mind and sat down again.
“See here,” snarled Greenbaum. “You sure have made a most awful hash of this business. I don't want to argue about it. We could go ahead and beat you, but Pollak is prejudiced and will probably give you your injunction and appoint a receiver. If he does, that will knock the whole property higher than a kite. Nobody would ever buy stock in it or even finance it. Now how much do you want to call off your suit?”
“Have a stogy?” asked Mr. Tutt politely.
“Nope.”
“We want exactly one hundred thousand dollars.”
Greenbaum laughed derisively.
“A hundred thousand fiddlesticks! This old jailbird swindled another crook, Bloom-”
“Oh, Bloom was a crook too, was he?” chuckled Mr. Tutt. “He worked for your firm, didn't he?”
“That's nothing to do with it!” retorted Greenbaum angrily. “Your swindling client traded some bum stock in a fake corporation for Bloom's stock, which he received for bona fide services-”
“Like Elderberry's?” inquired Tutt innocently.
“Your man never paid a cent for his holdings. That alone would throw him out of court. The mine isn't worth a cent without the Amphalula vein. We're taking a big chance. You've got us down and we've got to pay; but we'll pay only ten thousand dollars-that's final.”
“I ain't any more of a swindler than you be!” said Doc with plaintive indignation.
“What do you wish to do, Mr. Barrows?” asked Mr. Tutt, turning to him deferentially.
“I leave it entirely to you, Mr. Tutt. It's your stock; I gave it all to you months ago.”
“Then,” answered Mr. Tutt with fine scorn, “I shall tell this miserable cheating rogue and rascal either to pay you a hundred thousand dollars or go to hell.”
Mr. Tobias Greenbaum clenched his fists and cast a black glance upon the group.
“You can wreck this corporation if you choose, you bunch of dirty blackmailers, but you'll get not a cent more than ten thousand. For the last time, will you take it or not?”
Mr. Tutt rose and pointed toward the door.
“Kindly remove yourself before I call the police,” he said coldly. “I advise the firm of Scherer, Hunn, Greenbaum &Beck to retain criminal counsel. Your ten thousand may come in handy for that purpose.”
Mr. Tobias Greenbaum went.
“And now, Miss Wiggin, how about a cup of tea?” said Mr. Tutt.
The firm of Tutt &Tutt claimed to be the only law firm in the city of New York which still maintained the historic English custom of having tea at five o'clock. Whether the claim had any foundation or not the tea was none the less an institution, undoubtedly generating a friendly, sociable atmosphere throughout the office; and now Willie pulled aside the screen in the corner and disclosed the gate-leg table over which Miss Wiggin exercised her daily prerogative. Soon the room was filled with the comfortable odor of Pekoe, of muffins toasted upon an electric heater, of cigarettes and stogies. Yet there was, and had been ever since their conversation about the hat, a certain restraint between Miss Wiggin and Mr. Tutt, rising presumably out of her suggestion that his course savored of blackmail, however justified it had afterward turned out to be.
“My, isn't this nice!” murmured Doc, trying unsuccessfully to eat a muffin, drink his tea and do justice to a stogy at the same time. “It's so homy now, isn't it?”
“Doc,” answered Mr. Tutt, “did you really want that ten thousand?”
“Me?” repeated Doc vaguely. “Why, I told you I gave that stock to you long ago. It isn't mine any longer. Besides, I don't want any money. I'm perfectly happy as I am.”
Mr. Tutt laughed genially.
“Oh, well,” he said, “it's no matter who owns it. Elderberry just telephoned me that he had received a telegram from the Amphalula that the vein had definitely run out. It's all over-including the shouting.”
“Elderberry telephone you?” queried Miss Wiggin in astonishment.
“Yes, Elderberry. You see, he's done, he says, with Scherer, Hunn, Greenbaum &Beck. Wants to turn state's evidence and put 'em all in jail. I've said I'd help him.”
“Then why didn't you take the ten thousand and call it quits while the getting was good?” demanded his partner icily.
“Because I knew I'd never get the ten anyway,” replied Mr. Tutt. “Greenbaum would have learned about the vein on his return to the office.”
“Well, I must be getting along back to Pottsville!” mumbled Doc. “This has been a very pleasant trip-very pleasant; and quite-quite-exciting. I-”
“What I'd like to know, Mr. Tutt,” interrupted Miss Wiggin, “is how you justify your course in this matter. When you attempted to block this proposed reorganization you knew nothing about the Elderberry circular of 1914 valuing the property at ten million, or of the Amphalula vein. On its face you were attempting to wreck a perfectly honest piece of financiering, and unless it was a strike suit-which I hope and pray it wasn't-”
“Strike suit!” protested Mr. Tutt with a slight twinkle in his eye. “How can you suggest such a thing! Didn't the events demonstrate the wisdom of my judgment?”
“But you didn't know what was going to happen when you began your suit!” she argued firmly. “I hate to say it, but I should think that if everything had not come out just as it has your motives might easily have been misconstrued.”
“It was a matter of principle with me, my dear,” declared Mr. Tutt solemnly. “Just to show there's no ill feeling, won't you give me another cup of tea?”
Arthur Train
