The Settling Price (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1920. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXIII CONYERS ON THE "LONG DISTANCE 'PHONE" The day following the departure of the heads of the house for Chicago, Dick had not seized the opportunity to be impudent to the cashier and bookkeeper, or to be condescending to the girls in the office. He answered the telephone in a listless manner too; he had not for days exchanged a bit of persiflage with Central, who must have wondered what had happened to chasten the kid at the W. and W. office. It was not that Dick cared a rap whether corn went up to a dollar, or down to thirty cents; markets did not bother him; but he knew Billy was in trouble, and that was sufficient. Alone in his and Billy's room, the evenings seemed so long. He had finished "Hamlet," and had started another classic, but he did not care much about it anyway for he could not discuss it with his mentor. He had prepared page after page of copy without a blot, which task had taken hours and hours of faithful work, and he longed for Billy's commendation. For all of that it was the cashier, looking over from his cage, and seeing the disc on the board in front of Dick fall indicating that Central was waiting, who had roused Dick while he was listlessly occupied with something else on the table. 'Say kid," he called, "are you asleep over there?" But the words that were coming in from Central effectually shut off a spirited reply which the imputation of being asleep would certainly have evoked. Long Distance, Chicago was again on the wire. The cashier and the others could plainly see that something very much out of the ordinary was holding the attention of Dick, whose unsuppressed excitement was so plainly evident. "That you, Dick?" "Yes, Mr. Conyers." "Then listen attentively. I want you to get that list of car numbers you made out for...