Part 12 (1/2)
”Eh?”
”What's the prospects? is my question,” said Mike, surlily, put out by the evasiveness of Peter.
”Hey?”
”You have my question.”
”I have.”
”Then answer me.”
”How much more is it worth?”
”You and your gang are getting enough already,” retorted Mike.
”Don't get gay, young man; don't get gay,” said Peter, raising his furzy eyebrows with surprise. ”You people are in business--I'm in business--we're all in business--for money.”
”Yes, Peter, yes; all in business--all in business--a nasty thing it is, sir, this grafting business,” returned Mike. ”But my employers are getting tired of having their legs pulled so often. All the profits already go to your bunch--how can they pay any more?”
”Eh, young man, you are talking a little too gay--a little too gay, for one of your experience; hey?”
”Well, it's the truth,” answered Mike.
”What have I to do with that? Yes, I, sir; I? Answer me that question?”
asked Peter, with a little more animation than he had previously shown in the conversation.
”A whole d---- lot!” exclaimed Mike.
”Don't! don't! don't! boy! Don't cause me to throw you out!” roared Peter, now looking out his peephole.
”I am not a bit afraid of you--no more than I am of that door k.n.o.b,”
answered Mike, haughtily.
”Maybe not, Mike; but you fellows must be reasonable,” said Peter, less uproariously than before.
”So must you fellows,” remarked Mike, placidly, as he indolently s.h.i.+fted one leg over the other and bent forward.
Peter pursued his quest no further for a few moments, being interested in Eli in the outer room. He drummed with his fingers on one arm of the chair, then rubbed his fat hands together. Peter then turned to Mike, as Mike said:
”I want to know, Mr. Dieman, what your gang intends doing?”
”One thousand more per month,” was Peter's reply.
”That means two thousand for our house, does it?”
”If I figure right, it does.”
”Then, you can go--to--h----!” returned Mike, rising to depart.
”Five hundred will do this time,” said Peter, now feeling inclined to be decent in such a deal.