rvice to me."

"Krech? Why, you don't even know him!"

"Well, you're going to fix that difficulty, aren't you?" Varr turned
to his desk in his usual gesture of dismissal. "I'll be there at
eleven."

True to his word, at a few minutes past ten Simon left home for the
tannery. He would have a busy day, there, what with insurance data and
other matters relative to the fire. The prospect fretted him--and it
steeled his resolution to leave no stone unturned to bring the author
of his troubles to book. Blast him! He'd learn that it was safer to
monkey with a buzz-saw than with Simon Varr!

He stopped at the door of the office-building for a word with Nelson,
who was already yawning at his post. Without any suggestion other than
the promptings of good-nature, he had turned out long before daybreak
to relieve the tired Fay.

"Mr. Bolt and another gentleman are in back, sir," he reported. "Just
looking around. A young man was in about the insurance--said he'd be
back later. Steiner was here, very curious about the fire, but I told
him he'd have to see you."

"Right. You can tell Mr. Bolt that I'm upstairs. Did you or Fay look
around any more in the neighborhood of those footprints?"

"Footprints? He said nothing to me--"

"True; I told him to keep his head shut. I will talk to you about that
later, Nelson. There hasn't been any trouble from the strikers?"

"I haven't seen a soul, sir, but I've heard they are having a sort of a
meeting this morning. There's been talk of appointing a committee to
call on you and discuss things."

"There's nothing to discuss. However, I'm perfectly willing to meet a
committee from them and tell them again that they'll gain nothing by
their strike but trouble for themselves. You have to tell a fool the
same thing over and over again before he'll believe it. Send 'em up
when they come--but not more than three of 'em, I don't want a whole
mob mucking up my office."

"Yes, sir. There's been a young woman askin' for you, too, sir. A
girl named Drusilla Jones."

"Never heard of her." Simon, on the point of turning away, paused and
looked curious. "What does she want?"

"She's been goin' around pretty steady with Charlie Maxon, sir. I
guess she'll want to see you about lettin' him out."

"Humph. He's where he belongs, and I wouldn't do anything to get him
out even if I could. Tell her that, and say I won't see her. Make it
clear, Nelson, I've no time to waste