Urmurm, Bliss Hubble. How do you do.” He turned to one of the Titans and demanded with mock belligerence, “Didn’t you get my wire, Job? Then why haven’t I got your proxy for the contract thing?”
Job seemed to be a cautious cuss. “Because,” he said slowly, “I like old Arnold’s policies so far. You’ll rock the boat, one of these days, Bliss. Unless we kick you out of it first”
“Mr. Hubble,” Mundin said insistently.
Hubble said absently, “Mr. Urmurm, I assure you Fd vote for you if I lived in the 27th District, which thank God I don’t.” His eyes were wandering; he headed across the room to buttonhole another Titan. Mundin followed him in time to hear, “—all very idealistic, I’m sure, my dear Bliss. But many an idealistic young man has turned out to be a hard taskmaster. I mean no oflfense.”
Bliss Hubble was off again. Mundin judged that this last Titan was angry enough to talk to him; a vein was throbbing nicely in his reddened temple. Mundin asked in tones of deep disapproval, “Same old scheme, eh?”
The Titan said angrily, “Of course. The fool! When young Hubble’s seen as many raid’s on management as I have, he’ll think twice before he tries to pull wool over my eyes. The contract thing! Indeed! He’s trying to shake the faith of all us in the present management, stampede a board election, bribe— oh, bribe in a gentlemanly way, of course—bribe himself onto the board and then do as much damage as he can. But by Godfrey it won’t work! We’re keeping a solid front against him——” His eyes focused. “I don’t believe I know you, sir. I’m Wilcox.”
“Delighted. Mundin. Attorney.”
“Oh—proxies, eh? Whom do you represent? Most of the chaps seem to be here.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Wilcox.” Mundin followed Bliss Hubble, who had thrown himself into a chair after another rebuff. He handed him the power of attorney from Don Lavin that Ryan had prepared.
“Hey? What’s this?”
“I suggest you read it,” Mundin said shortly.
There was a patter of applause as half a dozen men came in. One of them—Arnold?—said, “Good afternoon, gentlemen. I suggest we all be seated and proceed.”
Mundin sat beside Hubble, who was mechanically reading. One of the new arrivals began to drone out the minutes of the last meeting. Nobody was paying a great deal of attention.
Hubble finished reading, handed the document back to Mundin and asked with an amused smile, “Just what am I supposed to do about it?”
Mundin said sharply, “Looks foolish, doesn’t it?”
The tactic worked. Disconcerted, Hubble said, “I didn’t say that. And—well, there have been rumors. Rumors to which you might have just as much access as I.”
Mundin looked knowing. “We’re not going to be greedy, Mr. Hubble,” he said, wondering what he was talking about. “Assuming that I’m not a swindler and that this isn’t forged, how would you like to be on the board?”
“Very much,” Hubble said simply.
“We can put you there.” Mundin measured him. “That should be obvious, Mr. Hubble. Our twenty-five per cent voting stock plus your——?”
“It’s a matter of record. Five and a half per cent.”
“As much as that?”
“As much as that I vote the family holdings.”
Mundin did sums in his head. Thirty and a half per cent. If they could take Hubble into camp, and then swing twenty per cent more——
He faced front Let Hubbla think it over for a while.
The minutes were accepted as read, in a bored mumble. One of the new arrivals grinned. “Now, gentlemen, to business. Election of a board member to replace Mr. Fenelly, to begin with.” t
Somebody proposed Mr. Harry S. Wilcox, the gentleman with the throbbing vein in his temple. Somebody else proposed a Mr. Benyon and noniinatipns were closed. Secretaries moved among the stockholders with ballots, which they filled out after an inspection—brief and with deferential smiles—of the stockholders’ proxies and share certificates. Mundin blandly presented his one share to a secretary’s horrified gaze; the man gave hiVi his bpkit as if he were passing alms to a leper.
Wilcox won, %$d there was a social round of applause and back-patting. From certain broad smiles Mundin suspected the result of the balloting was as fixed as the morrow’s rising of