Kennedy Square Part 17

"Well," said Todd--"ef I was to tell ye G.o.d's truf', I reckon he wants money. He says he's been to de big house--way out to de colonel's, and dey th'owed him out--and now he's gwineter sit down yere till somebody listens to him. It won't do to fool wid him, Ma.r.s.e Harry--I see dat de fus' time he come. He's a he-one--and he's got horns on him for sho'.

What'll I do?"

Both Harry and St. George roared.

"Why bring him in, of course--a 'pusson' with horns on him will be worth seeing."

A shabby, wizened-faced man; bent-in-the-back, gimlet-eyed, wearing a musty brown coat, soiled black stock, unspeakable linen, and skin-tight trousers held to his rusty shoes by wide straps--showing not only the knuckles of his knees but the streaked thinness of his upper shanks--(Cruikshank could have drawn him to the life)--sidled into the room, mopping his head with a red cotton handkerchief which he took from his hat.

"My name is GADgem, gentleman--Mr. John GADgem of GADgem & Combes.

"I am looking for Mr. Harry Rutter, whom I am informed--I would not say POSitively--but I am inFORMED is stopping with you, Mr. Temple.

You forget me, Mr. Temple, but I do not forget you, sir. That little foreclosure matter of Bucks vs. Temple--you remember when--"

"Sit down," said St. George curtly, laying down his knife and fork.

"Todd, hand Mr. Gadgem a chair."

The gimlet-eyed man--and it was very active--waved his hand deprecatingly.

"No, I don't think that is necessary. I can stand. I preFER to stand.

I am acCUStomed to stand--I have been standing outside this gentleman's father's door now, off and on, for some weeks, and--"

"Will you tell me what you want?" interrupted Harry, curtly. References to Moorlands invariably roused his ire.

"I am coming to that, sir, slowly, but surely. Now that I have found somebody that will listen to me--that is, if you are Mr. Harry Rutter--"

The deferential air with which he said this was admirable.

"Oh, yes--I'm the man," answered Harry in a resigned voice.

"Yes, sir--so I supposed. And now I look at you, sir"--here the gimlet was in full twist--"I would make an affidavit to that effect before any notary." He began loosening his coat with his skinny fingers, fumbling in his inside pocket, thrusting deep his hand, as if searching for an elusive insect in the vicinity of his arm-pit, his talk continuing: "Yes, sir, before any notary, you are so exactly like your father.

Not that I've seen your father, sir, VERY MANY TIMES"--the elusive had evidently escaped, for his hand went deeper. "I've only seen him once--ONCE--and it was enough. It was not a pleasant visit, sir--in fact, it was a most UNpleasant visit. I came very near having cause for action--for a.s.sault, really. A very polite colored man was all that prevented it, and--Ah--here it is!" He had the minute pest now. "Permit me to separate the list from the exhibits."

At this Gadgem's hand, clutching a bundle of papers, came out with a jerk--so much of a jerk that St. George, who was about to end the comedy by ordering the man from the room, stopped short in his protest, his curiosity getting the better of him to know what the fellow had found.

"There, sir." Here he drew a long slip from the package, held it between his thumb and forefinger, and was about to continue, when St. George burst out with:

"Look here, Gadgem--if you have any business with Mr. Rutter you will please state it at once. We have hardly finished breakfast."

"I beg, sir, that you will not lose your temper. It is unBUSinesslike to lose one's temper. Gadgem & Combes, sir, NEVER lose their temper. They are men of peace, sir--ALways men of peace. Mr. Combes sometimes resorts to extreme measures, but NEVER Mr. Gadgem. _I_ am Mr. Gadgem, sir," and he tapped his soiled s.h.i.+rt-front with his soiled finger-nail. "PEACE is my watchword, that is why this matter has been placed in my hands.

Permit me, sir, to ask you to cast your eye over this."

Harry, who was getting interested, scanned the long slip and handed it to St. George, who studied it for a moment and returned it to Harry.

"You will note, I beg of you, sir, the first item." There was a tone of triumph now in Gadgem's voice. "One saddle horse sixteen hands high, bought of Hampson & Co. on the"--then he craned his neck so as to see the list over Harry's shoulder--"yes--on the SECOND of LAST September.

Rather overdue, is it not, sir, if I may be permitted to remark?" This came with a lift of the eyebrows, as if Harry's oversight had been too naughty for words.

"But what the devil have I got to do with this?" The boy was thoroughly angry now. The lift of Gadgem's eyebrows did it.

"You rode the horse, sir." This came with a certain air of "Oh! I have you now."

"Yes, and he broke his leg and had to be shot," burst out Harry in a tone that showed how worthless had been the bargain.

"EXactly, sir. So your father told me, sir. You don't remember having PAID Mr. Hampson for him beFORE he broke his leg, do you, sir?" He had him pinned fast now--all he had to do was to watch his victim's struggles.

"Me? No, of course not!" Harry exploded.

"EXactly so, sir--so your father told me. FORcibly, sir--and as if he was quite sure of it."

Again he looked over Harry's shoulder, following the list with his skinny finger. At the same time he lowered his voice--became even humble. "Ah, there it is--the English racing saddle and the pair of blankets, and the--might I ask you, sir, whether you have among your papers any receipt for--?"

"But I don't pay these bills--I never pay any bills." Harry's tone had now reached a higher pitch.

"EXactly so, sir--just what your father said, sir, and with such vehemence that I moved toward the door." Out went the finger again, the insinuating voice keeping up. "And then the five hundred dollars from Mr. Slater--you see, sir, we had all these accounts placed in our hands with the expectation that your father would liquidate at one fell swoop--these were Mr. Combes's very words, sir: 'ONE FELL SWOOP.'" This came with an inward rake of his hand, his fingers grasping an imaginary sickle, Harry's acc.u.mulated debts being so many weeds in his way.

"And didn't he? He always has," demanded the culprit.

"EXactly so, sir--exactly what your father said."

"Exactly what?"

"That he had heretofore always paid them."

"Well, then, take them to him!" roared Harry, breaking loose again. "I haven't got anything to do with them, and won't."

"Your father's PREcise words, sir," purred Gadgem. "And by the time he had uttered them, sir, I was out of the room. It was here, sir, that the very polite colored man, Alec by name, so I am informed, and of whom I made mention a few moments ago, became of inVALuable a.s.sistance--of very GREAT a.s.sistance, sir."

"You mean to tell me that you have seen my father--handed him these bills, and that he has refused to pay them?" Harry roared on.

"I DO, sir." Gadgem had straightened his withered body now and was boring into Harry's eyes with all his might.

"Will you tell me just what he said?" The boy was still roaring, but the indignant tone was missing.

"He said--you will not be offended, sir--you mean, of course, sir, that you would like me to state exACTly what your father said, proceeding as if I was under oath." It is indescribable how soft and mellifluous his voice had now become.

Harry nodded.

"He said, sir, that he'd be d.a.m.nED if he'd pay another cent for a hot-headed fool who had disgraced his family. He said, sir, that you were of AGE--and were of age when you contracted these bills. He said, sir, that he had already sent you these accounts two days after he had ordered you from his house. And FInally, sir--I say, finally, sir, because it appeared to me at the time to be conclusive--he said, sir, that he would set the dogs on me if I ever crossed his lot again. HENCE, sir, my appearing three times at your door yesterday. HENCE, sir, my breaking in upon you at this unseemly hour in the morning. I am particular myself, sir, about having my morning meal disturbed; cold coffee is never agreeable, gentlemen--but in this case you must admit that my intrusion is pardonable."

The boy understood now.

"Come to think of it I have a bundle of papers upstairs tied with a red string which came with my boxes from Moorlands. I threw them in the drawer without opening them." This last remark was addressed to St.

George, who had listened at first with a broad smile on his face, which had deepened to one of intense seriousness as the interview continued, and which had now changed to one of ill-concealed rage.

"Mr. Gadgem," gritted St. George between his teeth--he had risen from the table during the colloquy and was standing with his back to the mantel, the blood up to the roots of his hair.

"Yes, sir."

"Lay the packages of bills with the memoranda on my desk, and I will look them over during the day."

"But, Mr. Temple," and his lip curled contemptuously--he had had that same trick played on him by dozens of men.