Part 28 (1/2)
”Of course I did,” he confessed. ”I didn't know either you or Schnitt until yesterday.”
Ersten knit his bristling brows, but presently grinned.
”You're a smart young man,” he complimented. ”But I don't promise Schnitt I move.”
”Certainly not,” agreed the smart young man, and mopped his brow. The fight was won! ”Here is exactly what you must say”--and he went patiently over the entire dialogue again, word by word.
Ersten listened carefully with frowns at some parts.
”Well, I try it,” he dubiously promised.
They were in front of Schoppenvoll's now; and Johnny, noting Ersten's fretfulness, proved himself a keen student of psychology by suggesting: ”I'm thirsty for that special drink of yours, Ersten; but suppose we put it off till after I've brought Schnitt.”
”Oh, well, if you say so,” returned Ersten with poorly a.s.sumed indifference.
”It's as fine as a frog's feather!” Johnny a.s.sured Heinrich Schnitt half an hour later.
”Will he move?” asked Heinrich.
”Yes, but you mustn't say anything about it”
”Well, I like to know it,” returned Heinrich with proper caution.
”I have his promise,” a.s.serted Johnny.
”Then he moves,” declared Heinrich, fully satisfied.
The mediator conveyed Heinrich to Ersten's with much the same feeling that he would have endured in carrying a full plate of soup--and he had that feeling all through the conference.
”h.e.l.lo, Heinrich!” greeted Ersten with indifference.
”h.e.l.lo, Louis!” returned Schnitt with equal nonchalance; then he a.s.sumed a rigid pose and recited: ”I have come back to work.”
”In this place?” asked Ersten, with parrotlike perfection.
A lump came into Heinrich Schnitt's throat. He struggled with that lump, but the simple word ”Yes” would not come.
”I say yes; but I don't--”
Johnny jerked him violently by the sleeve.
”He said 'Yes',” he informed Ersten.
”Well, maybe,” Ersten was decent enough to admit.
There was an uncomfortable pause in which the two men evinced a slight disposition to glare at each other.
”Mr. Schnitt's eyes are bad,” suggested Johnny hopefully.
”My eyes are like a young man's!” a.s.serted Schnitt, his pride coming uppermost.