Part 18 (2/2)

”Sure it iss,” returned Adolph. ”Look at the railroads and the big s.h.i.+ppers.” Again he winked wisely. ”I bet you, your boss ain't such a fool as you. Make the big money when you can, but don't run avay from the little money. I gif you a chance for the little money because I'm smart; some other feller let you haf it all because he issn't.”

Therein lay the measure of Adolph. It was beyond his comprehension that any man should treat all fairly: some one surely was ”on the inside,”

and his first thought in any transaction was to make a quiet ”deal” with some interested party that would give him a trifling advantage over others. He was shrewd in a small and near-sighted way, and he had an idea that all men, except fools, looked at things as he did. He believed there was ”graft” in everything. That being the case, it was the duty of a sharp man to get a share of it, even if, as in this instance, it only lessened his own expense somewhat. So Adolph Schlimmer went to see Brown's boss, who happened to be Dave Murray.

”I get me some insurance,” he announced.

”All right,” returned Murray agreeably. ”You look like a good risk.”

”Risk?” repeated Adolph. ”No, _nein_. I'm a sure thing.”

Murray laughed.

”That's bad,” he said banteringly. ”Sure things are what men go broke on in this world; they're the biggest risks of all.” Then, explanatorily: ”I mean you seem to be in good physical condition, so that our physician is likely to pa.s.s you.”

”You bet you,” returned Adolph, ”but it's my vife what counts. If I die, I leaf her the money; if she die, she leaf me nothing.”

”Oh, you want to get a policy on your wife's life,” said Murray thoughtfully, not favorably impressed with the other's commercial tone.

”How much?”

”_Zwei_ t'ousand dollars.”

”Not very much,” commented Murray. ”A man of sense would prefer a good wife to two thousand dollars any day. Is she a worker?”

”You bet you, yes,” replied Adolph earnestly. ”If she die, I looss money on her at that price. I figger it all out. She safe me the wages uf a clerk and a cook and some other things. I count up what she safe me and what she cost me and she's vorth fifteen dollars a week easy in work and ten dollars a week in saving. I can't afford to looss that. I insure the store and the stock, and now I insure this. I watch out for myself pretty close.”

Murray was both disgusted and amused. Such a character as this was new to his experience, but the risk might be, and probably was, a perfectly good and legitimate one.

”Well, you bring your wife in,” he said after a moment of thought, ”and I'll talk to her.”

”Sure,” said Adolph. Then he winked in his wise way. ”I safe you the commission. What iss there in it for me?”

”What?” exclaimed Murray.

”I haf a talk with Brown,” explained Adolph. ”It's vorth something to him to get the business, but he don't make it vorth nothing to me to give it.”

”If he did we'd discharge him.”

”Sure, sure,” returned the imperturbable Adolph. ”We got to watch the boys or there won't be nothing left for us. So I safe the commission for you. What iss there in it for me?”

”Not a d.a.m.n thing!”

”You play it that way with the fool,” advised Adolph complacently. ”It's a bully bluff for the feller that don't know how things was done in business. Then we go splits, yes?”

The ignorance and effrontery of the man so amazed Murray that he forgot his indignation for a moment and undertook to explain.

”There is no commission on business that comes to the office,” he said.

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