t I will pay back. Mr.
Shalley, I--er--I hope you won't prosecute me, for the sake of my wife
and children!" And the clerk wrung his hands in despair.

"Didn't you get any more than thirty-five dollars?"

"No, sir, not a cent more, I swear it. And Polk said that was due to me
legally."

"If that is true, I will not prosecute you,--but on one condition."

"Name it."

"That you tell me everything you know about Peter Polk's doings."

"I will do it, Mr. Shalley."

CHAPTER XXIX

GEORGE GAFFNEY'S STATEMENT

"I cannot tell you all Peter Polk has done," said George Gaffney, on
beginning his story, "but I can tell you all so far as it concerns his
purchase of goods from Bann & Shadow."

"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 promptly and
never asked for any rebate 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 rascal!" 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 ver