“Deems, this is my private room and I want you to get out of it,” said he, as calmly as possible.

 

“I tell you I’m going to settle matters with you!” yelled Grant Deems, who was almost beside himself with rage.

 

“This is a private boarding house,” went on our hero. “If you raise a disturbance¹ Miss Littell will most likely have you put out.”

 

“I don’t care if she does have me put out!”

 

“Don’t you? Well, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. She is a nice lady and it’s ill-mannered of you to make her any trouble.”

 

“Oh, I know her! She sides with you!” sneered² the rival book agent.

 

“If she does, it is because she knows I am in the right.”

 

“Stuff and nonsense! You stole one of my customers away from me this afternoon. I stopped at the house just after you left.”

 

“You mean, Mr. Risley, who bought my set of famous novels?”

 

“Yes. I had his order. You stole it away from me,” fumed³ Grant Deems.

 

“Mr. Risley has a right to buy what books he pleases. If you have his order why don’t you fill it?”

 

“He doesn’t want two sets of books.”

 

“That is none of my affair.”

 

“You stole that order from me, and I’m going to take it out of your hide!” cried Grant Deems, and started toward Frank.

 

“Keep back!” ordered our hero, and made a move as if to throw the book at his rival’s head.

 

Seeing this movement, Grant Deems picked up a chair and threw it at Frank. Our hero dodged⁴ and was about to throw the book at the fellow when the door opened and a man-of-all-work, hired by the boarding house keeper, rushed in and caught Grant Deems by the collar. The man was followed by Miss Littell.

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