The work you did fell short of $10,000, a trifle.

Let me see--$9,640 from $20,000 salary $2;400 added--ah yes, the balance due the company from yourself and Mr.Sellers is $7,960, which I will take the responsibility of allowing to stand for the present, unless you prefer to draw a check now, and thus----" "Confound it, do you mean to say that instead of the company owing us $2,400, we owe the company $7,960 ?" "Well, yes." "And that we owe the men and the contractors nearly ten thousand dollars besides ?" "Owe them! Oh bless my soul, you can't mean that you have not paid these people ?" "But I do mean it!" The president rose and walked the floor like a man in bodily pain.

His brows contracted, he put his hand up and clasped his forehead, and kept saying, "Oh, it is, too bad, too bad, too bad! Oh, it is bound to be found out--nothing can prevent it--nothing!" Then he threw himself into his chair and said: "My dear Mr.Brierson, this is dreadful--perfectly dreadful.

It will be found out.

It is bound to tarnish the good name of the company; our credit will be seriously, most seriously impaired.