Part 44 (1/2)
Gregory took the check with shaking fingers, at a loss for words to express fittingly his appreciation of the favor
A moment later the door opened and Silvanus Rock entered with two strangers The financier was on time In another few seconds the hands of the watch would be pointing to four o'clock Rock's beady eyes opened wider as he took in the occupants of the rooret that circuan, but Gregory cut hi this time, Mr Rock You've co the check, he passed it over
Silvanus Rock's fat fingers closed about the check and his sed and the flabby flesh gathered in rolls and pressed tightly against his white collar At length he found his voice ”This check is not certified,” he exclaimed hotly ”I refuse to take it”
Dalton s you much, Mr Rock,” he said easily
”We're both pretty well acquainted with Winfield & Camby's reputation and between you and me, I hardly think they would relish any inference like that coulped, as he recognized the representative of the big jobbers
Still he hesitated, rolling the check nervously in his fingers
Then Hawkins pressed forward
”Don't urge him to take that check, Cap, if he doesn't want to,” he drawled ”In fact I think it would make a much better story if he turned it down in the presence of all these witnesses”
Rock confronted Hawkins angrily ”Who are you?” he demanded
Hawkins introduced hi to meet you for soeles _Daily Tionia I have beco situation As yet there are several things I'hten me What about an interview?”
Rock's face purpled, then grehite His beady eyes shi+fted nervously froory
”I'll take the check,” he said thickly in a voice that shook with emotion
It was some time later when the business of the day came to a satisfactory close Winfield & Caned contract which McCoy had designated as a ”gilt-edge proposition” The fish were all unloaded and the night-shi+ft had already started to work on the to bear fruit
Mascola had been beaten Rock had been beaten The sea itself had been beaten by dickie Lang and the _Richard_ All of these things had been gone over again and again Weak from the reaction of the continued strain under which they had labored, the quartette of principals in the cannery dra
Then dickie Lang broke the silence
”We've all forgotten to eat,” she exclaimed ”If you'll all come up to the house I know Aunt Mary will do her best for you”
Gregory, Hawkins and McCoy accepted the invitation in unison As they followed the girl out, Gregory observed to McCoy:
”I can't understand why Winfield & Camby faced about so suddenly Why, they saved our lives Who would have thought it?”