A. M. Chisholm

“ Therefore the price of the lumber per thousand feet was based on a calculation in which the then existing freight rate was an important factor. Thus an unforeseen and substantial increase in the rate meant a corresponding loss to Kent, if the Clancys chose to hold him to the agreement. Joe looked at his manager in slowly, dawning comprehension.
“Why—why—hang it, Wright,” he said slowly, “it means a dead loss to us on every foot of boards we sell them!”
“Just that,” Wright agreed grimly. “And they'll boost their price with the rest of the retail men and make a double profit.” ”

“ I wish I had half their business ability. They're a pair of cold-blooded, dirty-tongued, sewer-rat devils, with the knack of making money hand over fist. And you see how they do it! But they pay up to the day and the cent, and they never squeal when they're hit, I'll say that for them.”
“Then we won't squeal either,” said Joe proudly. “Maybe, after all, they'll let us down easy.”
“Not them,” said Wright, ungrammatically but positively.
Not two hours afterward a wire was received from Clancy Brothers ordering a large consignment of dressed lumber which they wanted rushed. ”

“ McDowell was manager of the latter institution, and the very antipodes of Hagel, who hated him. He was young, popular, brusque, and a thorough-paced sport after banking hours.
“I trust you won't do that,” said Hagel, for the Kent account was a very valuable one. “You have other accommodation from us, and we have had your account for a long time.”
“That's got nothing to do with it,” said Joe, who was developing a most disconcerting habit of going straight to the point. “You people are trying to keep the cream and make me hustle to sell skim milk. ”

“ Joe admitted, “but——”
“No 'buts' about it,” Clancy cut him short again. “Don't tell me ye can't get cars. I know better. That gag don't work no more. I'll have yeez people to understand that when we order lumber we want lumber an' not excuses. Th' contract calls for——”
“I know quite well what it calls for,” Joe interrupted in his turn. “If you think you've got a kick, come up to the office and make it.” And he slammed the receiver back on the hook viciously.
Half an hour afterward Wright ushered in the brothers Clancy. Finn Clancy fulfilled the promise of his telephone voice. ”

“ If you choose to hold us up I suppose you can do it.”
“There's no holdin' up about it,” said Finn. “You contract to deliver lumber at one price; we contract to buy it at that price. If it goes down we lose; if it goes up you lose. Anyways ye had yer eyes open when ye signed. That's how I look at it. Am I right, Jawn?”
“Ye are,” declared his brother. “If so be lumber had went down, wud we have came whinin' to ye to let us off our contract? We wud not. When we lose we pay, an' say nawthin' about it. That's business.”
“All right,” said Joe; “it may be. ”

“ Joe began.
“You don't?” Wright fairly shouted. “No, and I don't see it all myself—yet. But look what it does to our contract with the Clancys!”
Now the contract with Clancy Brothers, mentioned before, was peculiar. They logged and manufactured lumber, but not nearly all for which they had sale. They operated a system of selling yards in twenty towns. By the terms of an agreement made by his father, which had more than a year to run, Kent was bound to supply them with lumber as required to a stated maximum amount at a stated price according to quality ”

“ If you force me to hunt accommodation elsewhere not another dollar of my money goes through your hands. You'll do what seems best to you, of course; but I want to know now where I am at.”
Hagel had lost some very good accounts which the Farmers' National had subsequently acquired, and his directors had made unpleasant remarks. ”

“ Nicholas K. Ryan drawed that agreement. I'm thinkin' ye couldn't break it wid dynymite.”
When they had gone Joe dug his copy of the agreement out of the safe and went to see Locke.
“I want to know,” he said, “if this agreement will hold water.”
Locke barely glanced at the document.
“Ryan drew this, and your father signed it against my advice,” he said. “Hold water? It would hold gas. What's the matter? Aren't they living up to it?”
“Living up to it? I should say they are!” exclaimed Joe. “That's just the trouble. ”