Cullen's party has the stock majority in their favor,
and would have won a fair fight if you had played fair. Since you
didn't, I'm doing my best to put things to right."
Camp cried, "All the more fool--" but Baldwin interrupted him by
saying--
"That only shows what a mean cuss Cullen is. He ought to give you ten
thousand, if he gives you a cent."
"Yes," cried Camp, "those letters are worth money, whether he's
offered it or not."
"Mr. Cullen never so much as hinted paying me," said I.
"Well, Mr. Gordon," said Baldwin, suavely, "we'll show you that we can
be more liberal. Though the letters rightfully belong to Mr. Camp, if
you'll deliver them to us we'll see that you don't lose your place,
and we'll give you five thousand dollars."
I glanced at Fred, whom I found looking at me anxiously, and asked
him--
"Can't you do better than that?"
"We could with any one but you," said Fred.
I should have liked to shake hands over this compliment, but I only
nodded, and turning to Mr. Camp, said--
"You see how mean they are."
"You'll find we are not built that way," said Baldwin. "Five thousand
isn't a bad day's work, eh?"
"No," I said, laughing; "but you just told me I ought to get ten
thousand if I got a cent."
"It's worth ten to Mr. Cullen, but--"
I interrupted by saying, "If it's worth ten to him, it's worth a
hundred to me."
That was too much for Camp. First he said something best omitted,
and then went on, "I told you it was waste of time trying to win him
over.
Pages:
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269