“Well, I–it don’t seem quite enough. That–that is a very valuable
property–very valuable. It’s brim full of iron-ore, sir–brim full of
it! And copper, coal,–everything–everything you can think of! Now,
I’ll tell you what I’ll, do. I’ll reserve everything except the iron,
and I’ll sell them the iron property for $15,000 cash, I to go in with
them and own an undivided interest of one-half the concern–or the stock,
as you may say. I’m out of business, and I’d just as soon help run the
thing as not. Now how does that strike you?”
“Well, I am only an agent of these people, who are friends of mine, and
I am not even paid for my services. To tell you the truth, I have tried
to persuade them not to go into the thing; and I have come square out
with their offer, without throwing out any feelers–and I did it in the
hope that you would refuse. A man pretty much always refuses another
man’s first offer, no matter what it is. But I have performed my duty,
and will take pleasure in telling them what you say.”
He was about to rise. Hawkins said,
“Wait a bit.”
Hawkins thought again. And the substance of his thought was: “This is a
deep man; this is a very deep man; I don’t like his candor; your
ostentatiously candid business man’s a deep fox–always a deep fox;
this man’s that iron company himself–that’s what he is; he wants that
property, too; I am not so blind but I can see that; he don’t want the
company to go into this thing– O, that’s very good; yes, that’s very
good indeed–stuff! he’ll be back here tomorrow, sure, and take my offer;
take it? I’ll risk anything he is suffering to take it now; here–I must
mind what I’m about. What has started this sudden excitement about iron?
I wonder what is in the wind? just as sure as I’m alive this moment,
there’s something tremendous stirring in iron speculation” [here Hawkins
got up and began to pace the floor with excited eyes and with gesturing
hands]–“something enormous going on in iron, without the shadow of a
doubt, and here I sit mousing in the dark and never knowing anything
about it; great heaven, what an escape I’ve made! this underhanded
mercenary creature might have taken me up–and ruined me! but I have
escaped, and I warrant me I’ll not put my foot into—-
He stopped and turned toward the stranger; saying:
“I have made you a proposition, you have not accepted it, and I desire
that you will consider that I have made none. At the same time my
conscience will not allow me to–. Please alter the figures I named to
thirty thousand dollars, if you will, and let the proposition go to the
company–I will stick to it if it breaks my heart!” The stranger looked
amused, and there was a pretty well defined touch of surprise in his
expression, too, but Hawkins never noticed it. Indeed he scarcely
noticed anything or knew what he was about. The man left; Hawkins flung
himself into a chair; thought a few moments, then glanced around, looked
frightened, sprang to the door—-
Too late-too late! He’s gone! Fool that I am! always a fool! Thirty
thousand–ass that I am! Oh, why didn’t I say fifty thousand!”
He plunged his hands into his hair and leaned his elbows on his knees,
and fell to rocking himself back and forth in anguish. Mrs. Hawkins
sprang in, beaming:
“Well, Si?”
“Oh, con-found the con-founded–con-found it, Nancy. I’ve gone and done
it, now!”
“Done what Si for mercy’s sake!”
“Done everything! Ruined everything!”
“Tell me, tell me, tell me! Don’t keep a body in such suspense. Didn’t
he buy, after all? Didn’t he make an offer?”
Offer? He offered $10,000 for our land, and—-”
“Thank the good providence from the very bottom of my heart of hearts!
What sort of ruin do you call that, Si!”
“Nancy, do you suppose I listened to such a preposterous proposition?
No! Thank fortune I’m not a simpleton! I saw through the pretty scheme
in a second. It’s a vast iron speculation!–millions upon millions in