CHAPTER XIII
In half an hour Mark came up to the front of the store and we stoppedtalking to listen to him.
"We n-never can raise five hundred dollars just by s-sellin' thingsover the counter--not in the time that's left to us before JehoshaphatP. Skip's chattel mortgage is due. Even sales and schemes for makin'folks buy more won't be enough."
"That's as good as sayin' we're busted," says I.
"C-close to it," says Mark.
"Be you givin' up?" I says.
"No. And what's more I hain't goin' to give up till Jehoshaphat P.wishes he never heard of Wicksville. But just ordinary retailin' won'tsave our b-bacon. We've got to get in a lump of money somehow."
"Let's be gettin' at it then," says I.
"If this man Skip only had p-played fair," says Mark. "But he hasn't.Fellers, he's the right-down meanest man I ever heard of.... And that'sthe only excuse we g-got for makin' use of the scheme I've got ready.We got to use every way that's honest--even if it is sort of m-mean.Maybe it hain't right for me to feel that way, but the meaner the thingis the better I like to do it to him."
"Same here," says I.
"I was hopin' to save up this scheme," says he, "and maybe not use itat all. But we g-got to. So come on."
"Where?" says I.
"Lawyer Sturgis's," says he.
Mark and I went across the street and climbed up to Mr. Sturgis'soffice. He was one of those dignified men that always wear silk hatsand long coats that flop around their knees, and he talked like he'dbeen exposed to grammar and rhetoric and had caught them both so bad hecouldn't be cured. He made speeches at election-times and at any othertimes when there was any excuse. For that matter, everything he saidcame close to being a speech. My, my, but he was a talker! He knewwords that the man who made the dictionary hasn't heard of yet. Butfolks said he was a good lawyer and honest and dependable. They saidother things about him, too--that he was _good_. In spite of thehigh-and-mighty way he carried himself, and the way he barked at folks,he was said to be the kind of man who goes out of his way to do folks afavor. Heaps of poor folks had got law from him without paying a cent.Everybody in Wicksville laughed at him a little--and liked him a heap.Wicksville folks could laugh at him if they wanted to, but you let aman from Sunfield come over and start to make fun of Lawyer Sturgis andthere'd be a fight in a second. It makes a heap of difference who doesthe laughing.
Well, we knocked at his door and he yelled to come in so loud peoplecould have heard it across the street. We went right in. He was sittingin front of his desk, with one hand shoved through the front of hisvest and the other on his hip--just like pictures of the signing of theDeclaration of Independence; and he was frowning like pictures ofDaniel Webster.
"Ah-ha!" says he, "what have we here? To what, if I may be permitted toinquire, do I owe the honor of this call? Ha! Marcus AureliusFortunatus Tidd, is it not? Indeed! And young Smalley. Will you enterand be seated?"
We entered and were seated.
"Now," says Lawyer Sturgis, "let us to business, laying aside all ourseveral and conflicting employments. You have, I judge, come to consultme professionally. Am I right?"
"You are r-right," says Mark. "It's about Jehoshaphat P. Skip."
"Ah, indeed! Jehoshaphat P. Skip! Extraordinary individual."
"It's about that lease, Mr. Sturgis, the one you h-helped me get theother day."
"To be sure. I recall the circumstance. And now, may I ask, what do youdesire concerning this so-called lease?"
"I want to shoot it off," says Mark.
"What?" says Mr. Sturgis. "You want--what do you want to do to it?Shoot it off, did you say?"
"Yes, sir. Don't you remember sayin' it was a regular gun pointed atJehoshaphat P. Skip's head? Well, sir, I want to sh-shoot it off."
"Hum! Figure of speech, eh? I did not follow you. I did not recall myown metaphor. Good. Your wit is nimble, my young friend."
"We've g-got to have some money--a chunk of it," says Mark. "We hadquite a bit in the bank, but we had to send it to Plunk's father for anoperation. I th-thought maybe we could use that lease to raise quite abit--maybe more'n a hundred dollars."
"How? What method did you contemplate?" says Mr. Sturgis.
At this I broke into the talk. "What's this all about?" I asked. "I'mhearin' about leases and sich-like, but I don't know what leases nornothin'."
"Remember the d-day I went into the country?" says Mark.
"Yes."
"I drove out to see Sheridan Mogford, who owns the store Skip is in. If-found out Skip didn't have a lease. He just rents it by the month. Ifhe had a lease we couldn't do anything. A lease is a kind of a writtenagreement that says how long a man can rent a p-piece of property at somuch a month. If Skip had a lease for a year he could keep on s-stayin'in that store a year and we c-couldn't interfere with him. But hedidn't have. He said he didn't want to get tied up to any lease till hefound out how business was. So he just rents by the m-month."
"All right," says I, "but what of it?"
"Why, I w-went out to see Mr. Mogford and I talked to him and told himhow Skip had acted to us--and I got him to make out a lease of Skip'sstore to Mr. Sturgis, here. Only, really, it was to us. Mr. Sturgis hashis name there in our place like. He's our--what-d'you-call-it?"
"Attorney-in-fact," says Mr. Sturgis. "In simpler language--your agent."
"Hum!" says I. "Pretty mixed up for me."
Mark grunted. "Why," says he, "when we got that lease we were entitledto move into the store. But we'd have to give Skip a m-month's notice.We could force him out--and there isn't another store in Wicksvillef-for him to go to. See?"
"Let's do it," says I. "That'll fix everything."
Mark shook his head. "That wouldn't f-fix anythin'," says he. "What'dhappen? We'd have Skip out of b-business, but we'd still owe him f-fivehundred dollars on that chattel mortgage. And we'd be stuck for therent of two stores, because we'd have to pay rent where the Bazar isnow and for Skip's store, too. Be worse off'n ever."
"Then what good is your old lease, anyhow?"
"I g-got it in the beginning because I knew it would come in handy. Id-didn't know just how I'd use it. But I know now."
"How?"
"I'm g-goin' to make Mr. Skip pay himself part of that five hundreddollars. Wish I could make him pay himself all of it."
"What method of procedure have you chosen?" asked Mr. Sturgis.
"I f-figgered it out you could get Skip over here and tell him aboutthe lease and make him pungle over. You can sell the lease, can't you?Can't you sell it to him like it was a horse or cow or a p-piece ofproperty?"
"A lease, my young friend, is a piece of property and is so recognizedby law. We can follow your suggestion. How much do you consider yourlease to be worth?"
"H-haven't any idee, but we want to git all we can. Hundred dollars atleast."
"I am confident we can secure a greater sum than that. Possibly twohundred dollars."
"F-fine," says Mark, and his eyes glistened. "We won't let him know wehave anything to do with it--not now. But won't he be hoppin' mad whenhe finds out he's gone and bought that chattel mortgage and then hashad to p-pay it himself? Won't he, though? Oh, my!"
The scheme hadn't been very clear to me, but I saw it now. Mark couldmake Skip move out of his store, and Skip would lose a lot of money ifhe had to move, because there wasn't any place else for him to go inWicksville. The only way he could stay and run his store was to buythat lease from Mark. Well, sir, I don't know how Mark thinks upschemes like that, but he does. This was such a bully scheme, becauseit couldn't help working. I made up my mind I'd ask him how he came tothink of it, because a fellow his age hasn't business understandingabout leases and law and such things.
"I g-guess you'd better send for Mr. Skip and break the news to him,"says Mark, "and," says he, "I wish Plunk and I could be in the nextroom where we c-could hear it."
Mr. Sturgis almost smiled. I bet he would have smiled rig
ht out if hehadn't practised being dignified so many years his face wouldn't workthe way it used to. But his eyes smiled and the corners of his mouthwiggled a little.
"To be sure," said he; "right in there. Leave the door ajar and you canhear perfectly. I can--I can readily appreciate your desire to witnessthe demeanor of Mr. Skip in the circumstances you have arranged forhim. I'll send my boy over for him at once."
Mark and I went into the next room as soon as we saw Jehoshaphat P.Skip coming down the street, but we left the door open about an inch sowe would be sure to hear. Mark got down on all-fours and put his ear tothe crack. I stood over him. Mark was heaving and rolling all over him,he was so tickled. It was one of those laughs of his without any noiseto it. I felt pretty tickled myself.
In a minute Skip came into Mr. Sturgis's office and said good afternoonand wanted to know why he was sent for.
"It is in reference to the store you occupy at present," said Mr.Sturgis. "You have no lease, as the facts come to me, but only rentfrom month to month."
"Exactly," says Skip. "What of it?"
"The store has been leased to another party," says Mr. Sturgis.
"Leased? How can they lease it? Hain't I occupyin' it? Say, what youtalkin' about, anyhow?"
"Other parties approached Mr. Mogford, owner of the building; he hasgranted them a lease for a period of two years. The next proceeding onthe part of my client will be to notify you to leave the premises inthirty days."
Well, sir, you should have seen Skip! His long neck looked like itstretched six inches to get his head closer to Mr. Sturgis, and hispinkish hair bristled, and his little squinty eyes snapped andglittered. Then he caught hold of his nose like he always does when heis excited and began bending it back and forth till I thought likelyhe'd crack it off.
"Who's gone and sneaked behind my back and got that lease? Hey? Whatslinkin', underhanded, sheep-stealin' pirate did me sich a mean trick?It's agin the law, I tell you. 'Tain't honest. I'll git me a lawyer andshow you. That's what I'll do."
"As far as that point is concerned," says Mr. Sturgis, "my client isamply protected by the laws of this state. As for any action you maytake with reference to keeping possession of this property, my clientwill be perfectly able to meet you and, if I may say so, to cause youto regret such a waste of time and money. The lease belongs to myclient. If he wishes to force you out in thirty days, he will be ableto do so."
"But where'll I go? What'll I do? I got money invested here. Therehain't another store to move to."
"That, Mr. Skip, does not, so to speak, worry my client. Indeed, if Ibe not wrongly informed, my client would not object to causing you atrifle of annoyance."
"Who is your client? Who is he?"
"I am not at liberty to state."
"He's a skinflint, that's what he is. What kind of a way of doin'business is this, anyhow? 'Tain't fair. 'Tain't just. No business manwould treat another like this."
"H'm! I'm not so sure, Mr. Skip. While we're on that subject I mightsay I've heard of dealings of your own that might have been moreupright. I have been informed, Mr. Skip, that you have resorted tomeans which are, to say the least, reprehensible. I, sir, have beenpractising law in Wicksville for thirty-five years. I can assure you,sir, that, had I not considered my client justified in the course hefollows in this matter, I should have declined to act for him. I dobelieve him justified. I believe, sir, that it will do you no harm,sir, to have, so to speak, a dose of your own medicine."
Skip got up out of his chair and paced up and down and waggled his noseand craned his neck. He just didn't know what to do. He was scared andexcited and mad--my! my! but he was mad! He was caught, and he knew it.You could tell by his face he knew it, and you could see he was prettywrought up with himself for not getting a lease in the beginning. Themore he walked up and down and thought it over the more scared hegot--scared of losing some money. Pretty soon he stopped before Mr.Sturgis and says:
"I can't move, Mr. Sturgis. I've _got_ to stay in that store. Won't yousee your client and find out if we can't make some sort of anarrangement? Say, won't you do that, Mr. Sturgis?" He was all worked upand his voice sounded like he was going to break down and cry.
I looked down at Mark. His face had an expression I never saw on itbefore--sort of _grim_. He didn't look like he was enjoying the miserySkip was in. That wasn't his expression at all. But he did look like hewas doing something he knew he ought to do, and was gettingsatisfaction out of it. I suppose maybe a general looks like that whenhe catches one of his officers being a traitor and orders him to beexecuted. Yes, that's the sort of look it was.
"I have full authority to deal with you," says Mr. Sturgis. "Though myclient may think you deserve to be ejected, he will not object if Itake less severe measures. What, if anything, would you suggest?"
"Can't--can't I buy the lease? Won't he sell it to me?"
"Well, now, Mr. Skip, possibly something of that sort could bearranged. How much, for instance, would you be willing to pay for thelease?"
"Fifty dollars."
"A-hem! Fifty dollars. Ah, you consider the lease worth fifty dollars,do you? I, on my part, believe it is worth more than that to my client.I think I do not make a misstatement when I say my client would ratherkeep his lease than sell it for that amount."
"Seventy-five."
"Mr. Skip, if it is going to mean a severe money loss to you to move,if there is no other store building in Wicksville, it seems to me youroffer, considering the circumstances, is low--too low."
"What do you want, then? How much? If it's too high I may as well move.I'd rather lose my money moving than to give it to a man that rigged upa scheme to hold me up, anyhow."
That sort of scared me and I nudged Mark, but he shook his head for meto be quiet.
"Two hundred dollars is the price, Mr. Skip. That is final. You cantake it or leave it. My time, I may say, is of value. You have usedconsiderable of it. Two hundred dollars. Is it yes or no?"
Skip thought a moment, and wriggled like there was a burr inside hisshirt, and groaned, but he came around.
"It's a skin game," says he, "and a hold-up, but I'll pay it."
"All right," says Mr. Sturgis. "Pay it, then."
That was the shortest and most businesslike speech I ever heard himmake. He pulled the lease out of his pocket and waited. Skip, stillmuttering and mumbling and groaning, took out his check-book and wrotea check. Then Mr. Sturgis signed the lease over to him.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Skip," says Mr. Sturgis. "I hope you will ponderover this transaction. You will find material for thought in it, I amcertain. In Wicksville we believe in competition, in fair competition.We believe in doing by others as we would like to have others do by us.An old saying, Mr. Skip. In this instance you have had done to you whatyou have done to others.... It is not, I believe I am safe in saying,particularly pleasant. Good afternoon, Mr. Skip."
Skip grabbed the lease and plunged out of the door and down the stairs.As soon as it was safe Mark and I came out. I was almost busted openwith curiosity.
"Say, Mark," says I, "how in tunket did you think up that scheme? How'dyou ever hear about leases and sich? And law?"
"I d-dun'no's I know much about 'em," says Mark. "When I went to seeMr. Mogford I wasn't more'n half sure what a lease was. It all comefrom readin' the papers. There was a big lawsuit in Detroit aboutleases, and I read accounts of it. It told consid'able. Then I askedaround some. Perty soon I come to the conclusion there was somethin' toit.... And that's all."
"Um!" says Mr. Sturgis. "Um!... Young man, have you chosen aprofession? Have you, if I may put it so, chosen the walk of life youwill follow?"
"Why," says Mark, "don't b'lieve I have. I've got to g-go to collegefirst."
"I advise you, my young friend, to consider the law. I do. Should youdecide to enter this most dignified and pleasant profession and returnto Wicksville to practise, I shall be glad, exceedingly glad, to haveyou in my office--with a view to partnership at an early date. You areyoung, my
friend, but years soon pass. How old might you be?"
"Almost s-s-sixteen," says Mark.
"In six or seven years you will be ready.... Think it over."
"Thank you, sir," says Mark. "I'll think about it, but I guess, sofar's I can see, I sort of l-like business. I calc'late to go intobusiness, buyin' and sellin'. I hain't sure, yet, but that's how I'vebeen figgerin'."
We talked a minute more with Mr. Sturgis, and then went back to thestore. It was time, for it was Saturday and things were beginning toliven up.