Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 105: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

96 course first to a brief season in the back room, and then to a walk. He had hardly stepped upon the east side of the Plaza Dominica when he saw Don Octavio upon the west side. A cigar quickly found itself between Joe’s teeth as he crossed the Plaza with a fine semblance of leisure, and con- fronted the don. “ Ah,” cried the latter, with eager- ness, “a thousand pardons, senor. I had intended to call on you today, but affairs !—affairs! You know, Senor Barber, how they press upon a busy man, and here you come with a fresh lot of them to torment us.” ‘“I presume there is some torment about it,” Joe responded, “and I hap- pen to be in a position just now where Y can relieve you from any further anxiety, as far as the business of the syndicate is concerned.” “Why, how is that? I do not un- derstand you,” cried the don, with an accent of apprehensive surprise. “IT am obliged to go to St. Thomas on business tomorrow morning,” re- plied Joe, “‘ and while I am there I shall have to take advantage of the situation to bring that matter of the proposed trolley line to a head. Cable communi- cation from St. Thomas, you know, is in better shape than it is here.” The don’s jaw fell. “I don’t suppose I understand yet,” he said, “ but you have business con- nections, or an agency, in St. Thomas? ” “The syndicate has some dealings in St. Thomas,” responded Joe, with off hand veracity, as he thought of See- borg’s acceptance of his order, “ but the main point is the fact that cable communication with New York is bet- ter established there than here.” “ Ah, yes, yes. Hem! ha!” mur- mured the don, who was altogether too disturbed by Joe’s nonchalance to recall that for ordinary purposes cable com- munication between Ponce and New York was then in fair working order. “ You said something about the pro- THE ARGOSY. posed trolley line. I understood that you would not seek to interest others than myself and my friends in the mat- ter——”’ Joe raised his hand in a deprecatory gesture. : “T have kept my word,” he said gravely, “ but that cannot prevent oth- ers from speaking to me about it. The need for a trolley line, you see, is mani- fest to any observer. It would be a wonder if I should be the only one to think of it.” The don’s face was positively pale. ‘Tam sorry to intrude the affair up- on such a busy man, Don Octavio,” Joe continued, “ but, as I was saying, you can drop the syndicate’s matters at once if you choose to do so. On the other hand, if you and your friends wish to acquire rights in the prospect- ive street car company, it would be bet- ter to do so at once.” “ By the payment of forfeit money? ” asked the don. “ Yes, some nominal sum to assure the syndicate that you and your friends will eventually take some considerable portion of the shares.” How much should you suggest as the forfeit? ” “ Oh,” answered Joe indifferently, ‘ say five thousand dollars.” ‘‘ Five thousand dollars, senor! ”’ ex- claimed the don, aghast. Joe saw that he had made a mistake. The amount suggested was far in ex- cess of what the don and his friends would consider proper. It was also far in excess of what Joe absolutely needed for the immediate emergency. “ Did I say dollars? ” asked Joe, with a perfectly beautiful expression of sur- prise and annoyance. “It was the habit of speech, Don Octavio. I am $0 accustomed to thinking of a dollar as the unit of commercial transactions, that the word slipped off my tongue before I realized it. Of course I meant to say pesetas.”’ The sweet significance of this must be plain to every reader who ‘S.A ready eo