But what was a paltry thousand, aye a paltry ten thousand, to a man's pride?
I bit off the end of my cigar, creased the check into a taper, and struck a match.

I watched it burn and burn.

I struck another.

I held it within an inch of the check, but for the life of me I could not light it.
"The devil take it!" I cried.

I flung the cigar out of the window and laid the check on my desk.