"That will be enough," answered Andrew Shalley, and brought out a book and a pencil, to take notes.

 

"He came to our firm three years ago and began to purchase various goods for the Helen Shalley. At first he met all bills promptly¹ and never asked for any rebate² or commission. That lasted for about three months."

 

"He must have been feeling his way."

 

"He was. At the end of six months he made a claim of a rebate on a bill for a hundred and fifty dollars and we allowed him ten dollars. Then he got ten dollars more on another bill, and after that he claimed a rebate of ten per cent. on everything he bought of us."

 

"You have all those bills on your books?"

 

"We have."

 

"Good. Go on."

 

"He gradually got bolder and wanted me to aid him in getting a commission elsewhere on regular steamboat supplies. I was willing to make a little extra money and introduced him to the firm of Leeson & Bronette. Leeson is an easy-going man and he promised Polk a big commission on all goods purchased. Polk bought hundreds of dollars' worth of goods from them, and got, I am pretty sure, from fifteen to twenty per cent. on every bill paid."

 

"Oh, what a rascal³!" murmured Randy.

 

"Then I introduced him to another man, Aaron Denman, and he got goods from that man too and got his commission—how much I do not know. For introducing him to Denman I was promised that commission of twenty dollars. I saw Polk was making money hand over fist, and when he did not pay me I got mad and wrote the letter."

 

"And you are sure you never got a cent more out of him than thirty-five dollars?"

 

"Not a cent. Once in a while he treated me to a dinner and twice he sent me a box of cigars, and that is all. To tell the honest truth, I did not press him very hard, for I did not believe in what he was doing. I want to be an honest man, and I was led into this thing almost before I knew it," continued George Gaffney.

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