ar about. They've
done me up; that's all. Just as they've fixed Iringer and Gaffney and
Howison."

"Tell me."

He threw out his arms and then let them fall to his side.

"Oh, it's easy," he cried, "so easy that I never thought of it.
They've just bought the Vaudeville out of hand and served notice on me
that when my lease expires next month they'll not be able to renew it,
'unfortunately'! That's all. No; not quite. In order to kill all
hope of a new plan in me they've just let it get to be understood that
any man or woman that works for Obermuller needn't come round to them
at any future time."

"Phew! A blacklist."

"Not anything so tangible. It's just a hint, you know, but it works
all right. It works like--"

"What are you going to do; what can you do?"

"Shoot Tausig or myself, or both of us."

"Nonsense!"

"Yes, of course, it's nonsense, or rather it's only what I'd like to
do.... But that's not the question. Never mind about me. It's what
are you going to do?"

He looked straight at me, waiting. But I didn't answer. I was
thinking.

"You don't realize, Nance, what those fellows are capable of. When
Gaffney told me, before he gave up and went West, that there was a
genuine signed conspiracy among them to crush out us independents, I
laughed at him. 'It's a dream, Gaffney,' I said. 'Forget it.' 'It's no
dream, as you'll find out when your turn comes in time,' he shouted.
'It's a fact, and what's more, Iringer once taxed Tausig to his face
with it; told him he knew there was such a document in existence,
signed by the great Tausig himself, by Heffelfinger of the Pacific
circuit; by Dixon of Chicago, and Weinstock of New Orleans, binding
themselves to force us fellows to the wall, and specifying the per
cent. of profit each one of 'em should get on any increase of
business; to blacklist every man and woman that worked for us; to buy
up our debts and even bring false attachments, when--'"

"Now, weren't there enough real debts to satisfy 'em? They're hard to
please, if you haven't creditors enough to suit 'em!"

He looked grim, but he didn't speak.

"I don't believe it, anyway, Mr. O; and 'tisn't good for you to keep
thinking about just one thing. You'll land where Iringer did, if you
don't look out. How did he know about it, anyway?"

"There was a leak in Tausig's office. Iringer used to be in with them,
and he had it from a clerk who--but never mind that. It's the
blacklisti