Part 8 (1/2)
”What do you mean by that last threat?” asked Morgan defiantly.
”I mean just this; that I know enough about you, that if I should repeat what I know to Mr. Blaisdell, you would not remain in this office one day longer.”
Morgan grew pale. ”You seem to know a great deal for a man that's been here no longer than you have. I suppose Lyle Maverick has been filling you up with stuff about me.”
”She has never mentioned your name to me, and you will do well not to bring her name into this conversation.”
”Seems to me you're wonderfully particular about old Jim Maverick's girl,” Morgan sneered, ”I suppose you want her for yourself, though I should think the other one--”
Morgan never finished his sentence; a blow that he afterwards said was ”worse than the kick of a mule,” had closed one eye.
With an oath, he made a terrible lunge toward Houston, but he knew nothing more until about fifteen minutes later, when he found himself lying on the floor, under the long desk, on the opposite side of the room, while Houston stood a few feet away, watching him.
”You dirty contemptible cur!” said Houston, ”do you think because you have no sense of honor, because you are so vile you can have no idea of what purity means, that every one is like yourself? You deserve to be kicked like a dog; come out from there and fight, why don't you?”
”I don't believe I'm very anxious to, if you'd just as soon excuse me,” said Morgan, who had gradually a.s.sumed a sitting posture, and was pa.s.sing his hand over his eye and jaw. Then, looking up with as much of a grin as he could muster, with his rapidly swelling face, he said, ”Give it up, Houston; you're a better man than I am; I'll let you boss this ranch.”
”Do you mean,” asked Houston sternly, ”that from this time there will be no more insinuations against ladies, and no innuendoes in their presence?”
”Yes, I agree,” said Morgan, ”I'll never say anything myself, and I'll smash any other fellow that does; I think,” he added, reflectively, ”that you've showed me how pretty well, though I'd a little rather you'd practiced on some other fellow, Haight, for instance.”
”I'll attend to Haight,” said Houston, helping Morgan to his feet, and smiling grimly at the figure he made.
An hour later, Houston presented himself at the sorting rooms, where Haight met him with many smiles, offering to show him through the rooms.
”Another time will do, Mr. Haight,” said Houston coldly, ”I have business with yourself this morning.”
”Oh, yes,” said Haight, as if the thought had just occurred to him, ”that unfortunate business at the table this morning; Mr. Houston, I am more than sorry for what happened, and a.s.sure you, that, so far as I am concerned, it shall never occur again.”
”It will be much better for your interests that it should not,”
replied Houston; ”I have not been in the habit of hearing such insinuations against ladies, or such language in their presence; and there is something more I have to say to you,” he continued, as he saw Haight was trying to speak; ”you were bookkeeper for the company, for a while, were you not?”
”Certainly,” replied Haight in a tone of surprise, ”I kept the books for a few months last year.”
”So I have been informed since coming here, and I wish to state that the other day I had occasion to refer to some of the old books kept by you, and I very soon found evidences of a few shady transactions on your part that I think you would not care to have come to the knowledge of the company.”
”You must be mistaken, Mr. Houston,” said Haight, trying to preserve a calm exterior, but paling visibly; ”it must have been some of Mr.
Johnson's work you found.”
”No, Mr. Haight,” said Houston firmly, ”it was your own work, in your own writing, and very bunglingly done at that; a man would not need to be an expert accountant,--and that is what I am,--to detect the fraud.”
”Mr. Houston,” interrupted Haight, in trembling tones, ”everything here shall be as you wish, and I will help you too,--I can be of use to you,--if you will just say nothing. There were certain circ.u.mstances that I cannot now explain, that justified the transactions you allude to; and as I have told you, I regret what occurred this morning, and it shall not be repeated. But really, Mr. Houston,” he continued, ”I had no idea that my teasing Morgan this morning would have such an effect; you see, what I was joking about was really to Miss Maverick's credit; it seems that a few weeks ago, he was rather smitten with her and attempted to be what she thought was a little too familiar, and she gave him a black eye, and--”
”He has another one now,” said Houston, rising abruptly.
”Indeed!” exclaimed Haight.
”Yes, and there will be more black eyes if there are any more insinuations of that character,” and Houston returned to the office, leaving behind him a bitter enemy, but one whose enmity would be concealed by a cloak of friends.h.i.+p.